


A Different Way

by EverllarkingJoshifer



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Divorce, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-03-05 07:49:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 35,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13383390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EverllarkingJoshifer/pseuds/EverllarkingJoshifer
Summary: Katniss a divorced single mother meets her old Neighbor Peeta after many years, What happens when you think the person you thought you knew is the opposite of you initially thought he was? Why is everything so confusing? Why are her friends such perverts and what's going on with the kids?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, my beautiful readers! It is I, back yet again with a very short but hopefully cute story. Now, this chapter is dedicated to my secret Santa @peetaisbae. Normally this would’ve come sooner but I’ve been crazy busy and I haven’t gotten around to making a banner and although I loathe to not have something neat and prettily wrapped up I’ve decided to forego against all my wishes and bite the bullet when it comes said banner and instead replaces it with an appropriate GIF and or picture. (I’m a bit of a perfectionist). Hopefully, I can get around to making a banner soon unless someone decides to make a banner for me! (*wink wink, nudge nudge, hint hint*). Anyway, this story would’ve never come to fruition unless @burkygirl and @mega-aulover hadn’t been there to plant the seed of pure inspiration in my head. If @titaniasfics and @javistg hadn’t edited this story to the Nth degree or it probably would’ve been a flaming pile of garbage. The chapters are a bit short, but I hope you all like it. Please don’t forget to leave a comment if you can! They do so make my heart soar. 
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Suppressing a yawn, Katniss grinned and waved as Willow ran into the school with gusto, air flying behind her as she waved her hand hurriedly.

“Don’t forget, I Iove you!” she yelled.

Willow looked back smiling, her scarf flying behind her as the fall leaves swirled about. “I know!” she yelled back, resuming her jog before the bell rang.

Katniss tried to stifle her laugh, shaking her head while she rolled up the window crank. She huffed when the damned thing got stuck for the fiftieth thousand time since she bought the bloody car two years ago.

Retracing her earlier movements, hoping it would work, she tried again but it was still stuck. Grunting, Katniss placed her hand against the window and pulled it up as she tried cranking the stupid handle. Window closed, she rubbed her hands vigorously, trying to warm them. Looking back, she reversed out of the driveway, the car sputtering little puffs of white smoke from the exhaust.

She hadn’t had much of a choice when she bought her little Toyota Corolla. It was definitely on the old side, with it being around since she was ten, but it was all she could afford two years ago when Gale decided he’d wanted a divorce. Her mother insisted that she ask for alimony, but it was no use. She was far too proud to ask for any handouts after finding out the reason for the divorce being Gale falling hopelessly for someone else. Her mother called her stupid, and perhaps she was right because the white paint was rusting away at the corners and she was the dictionary definition of a wreck, just like her little car.

It didn’t matter, she’d never wanted to rely on Gale. Despite the rational part of her screaming that she should’ve let go of her stupid pride and taken the damned money, Katniss had refused. She would be dead before she asked Gale for anything, especially after he had so callously told her that he was no longer attracted to her.

Thankfully, Prim had readily agreed with her and told their mother to please keep her comments to herself. Then again, even that wasn’t new. Prim acted as a surrogate mother to the juvenile pursuits of their mother and at times to Katniss as well. It didn’t matter that she was years younger, it still astounded her that it was Prim who was the voice of reason in a chaotic family.

But then again, her father was not with them. How could he when he had run back into a burning house containing a pup when a tank of leaking oil exploded, leaving her mother widowed and his daughters orphaned? It was such the luck of a fireman, or rather, an ‘occupational hazard’, as his boss said.

To be perfectly clear, Katniss thought the whole ordeal was stupid, and it irritated her that her father had been so thoughtless when it had come to his own family. As angry as she was at her father, she was presently feeling disgusted at having so little regard for his heroism. He’d put his life on the line consistently, and it was because of him that many had survived. Unfortunately, it didn’t calm her when it was his recklessness that left his family alone and destitute.

Shortly after his passing, her mother reverted back to acting like a teenager. Katniss supposed that was her way of grieving, but how many years of it would it take before she realized that she’d left her own daughters utterly alone? Katniss wondered what would’ve happened if her uncle hadn’t intervened when he all but found the house in tatters and two hungry girls screaming for their mother to listen to them. No amount of pleading had worked, not even when Haymitch had yelled at their mother to the point where his face looked like a plum. Mother was still too preoccupied with retrieving her ‘unlived youth,’ as she called it.

For a while, Katniss had taken on the task of being a mother to Prim, until one fine morning Prim calmly explained that it wasn’t her job to overtake such duties. Katniss thought her sister was preparing for a fight as she’d so often gotten into the habit of doing, but Prim simply explained that she understood that their mother was just as gone as their father and that no amount of smothering would cure it.

“I’ve figured it all out, and there’s nothing to be done,” Prim commented idly as she cut into her eggs leaving the runny yolk to drip on her toast. When Katniss had asked for further clarification, she’d shrugged. “I just guess it’s time for all of us to accept the truth and move on now that we’ve learned from it.” She popped a small bite into her mouth and chewed daintily leaving a gobsmacked Katniss gaping at her like a fish. It took many tries and plenty of Prim reminding her that she needed a sister and not a mother as she was old enough to take care of herself til Katniss finally learned to let go a little. It wasn’t all the way, but it was enough for Prim not feel stifled and for Katniss not to feel the burden of a job that was never meant to be hers, to begin with.

Katniss swallowed her bitterness as she drove her junk of a car, as her mother distastefully called it when she decided that a trip to the grocery store was in order before she went back home to cocoon herself in her blankets while she buried herself in her work. She was currently working as a journalist for the town’s newspaper, mostly writing puff pieces, but it was enough to pay the bills and it afforded her time to spend with Willow, even if her boss was Cthulhu herself.

Johanna would often flip Coin off behind her back both exasperating and making her snort as she hurriedly reached for Jo’s hand and lowering it before Coin noticed.

“God, I don’t understand how we can handle her constant nagging. It was as if she were running a military coup here for fuck’s sake!” Johanna muttered as she rolled her eyes. Something that had become habitual when it came to dealing with Alma Coin, bitch-boss of the year.

Katniss would often sigh before replying, “Well she pays us and it’s not like we’re here that often!”

“She’s so lucky we’re not here more or she would be dead by now,” Johanna would grumble.

Katniss shook her head. “No, she’s lucky YOU’RE not here often or I’m sure you would’ve throttled her by now.”

Johanna nodding would answer that it was true before turning her full attention on Katniss’s current problems. Mainly being her lack of romance and her book. Or rather her unfinished book.

As much as Katniss hated having to answer to her boss’s often ungrateful and disappointed comments riddled with criticism, she hated to talk about her love life and especially her book both of which were an utter mess. She hadn’t made a dent on either in months.

It didn’t matter how many times Johanna pushed her to go out on uncomfortable blind dates or that her sister took Willow for a night so that she could write. Both efforts were fruitless and awkward. The few men she’d gone to dinner with had either left in a haste after her heartbreaking story or they would only see her as a slab of meat only meant for sex. Sure, Katniss had enjoyed a couple of one night stands, but it was all that it ever amounted to and as to her writing well, suffice it to say that Youtube and Netflix could be very distracting when it came time for her to buckle down and get something done. But what else was she to do when all she ever did was open Microsoft Word and sat there looking at the blinking line staring back at her accusingly for a full five minutes? It was as though her brain was blocked and nothing remotely interesting came to mind.

When Prim returned, with niece in tow, she would ask if anything got done and so Katniss would lamely confess that she had sat through an entire five episodes of Stranger Things as a small empty pint of rocky road sat on her coffee table. She was a terrible liar, and she knew it was no use when it came to Prim’s perceptive radar. It would then take a full ten minutes of her sister reassuring her that she was a fantastic writer if only she’d tried.

But she had tried. It didn’t matter how fantastic her sister or friend said she was, she didn’t feel it, and neither did the shitty prose that she’d jotted down on her overfilled notebooks.

She’d written more sentences than she cared to remember, but it was all for naught when after a few minutes of staring at her incoherent words Katniss would either scratch out all the jumble of words in said notebook or highlight the whole paragraph and delete an hour worth of work. It was useless. As useless as she felt when it came to her now limbo-like life.

She parked her car and locked it before looking for a cart as she walked into the grocery store. The long columns of lights lining the aisles accompanied by the light music surrounding the area welcoming her with open arms. Her once cold fingers were kindly taken out their misery when the heat shrouded her like a welcome hug.

Katniss smiled at the greeter and quickly walked to look for the cereal aisle.

Almost everything on her mental list was ticked off when she realized that she’d walked out of the house without so much as a morsel. She deviated her cart from the waiting lines of cashiers and walked towards the bakery section.

The smell of fresh bread nearly made her pass out as she licked her hungry lips while tapping on the display case holding an assortment of cakes. “Excuse me?”

The blond head turned. “Yes, may I help–, Katniss?”

Katniss blinked a few times before recognizing the blond, blue-eyed baker before her. “Peeta?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there my lovelies! I’m back with yet another chapter of what I hope is a riveting story. Again I would like to thank @mega-aulover and @burkygirl for giving me great ideas. To my husband for being hella patient and @titaniasfics and @javistg for betaing the crap that I handed only for it to come out coherent and worth posting. I would also like to thank @sunsetsrmydreams for making this sweet ass banner. I would like to dedicate this chapter to @norbertsmom for her birthday. May you have a wonderful day babes I wish you many more! As this was originally a story written for @peetaisbae I hope she likes her ongoing X-mas present. As always, don’t forget to read and review ;)
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> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/ADW.png.html)
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> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/giphy%201.gif.html)

Katniss blinked a few times before recognizing the blond, blue-eyed baker before her. “Peeta?” she asked dumbly when her old schoolmate walked around the counter to give her an awkward hug that she’d mistaken for a handshake, and so now they were standing there with Peeta looking down at her extended hand and his arms midway through wrapping around her.

They both blushed as he pulled his hand out and she changed her position to that of wanting to hug him. Stuttering in mid-move, they scoffed at the ridiculousness of it all and blushed furiously when they decided that maybe a high five was as much as the awkwardness would allow.

Peeta ran his hand behind his neck giving her a lopsided grin followed by a shrug. “How’ve you been? I haven’t seen you in so long.”

“I’m good, thanks. Just here picking up some groceries, you know?” Katniss replied, hoping on all of God’s green earth that she looked as cool as she wanted to, although she highly doubted it.

After a few minutes of awkward silence and Peeta fiddling with his wedding band, he looked up at her chuckling. “So, what have you been up to? It’s been so long since I’ve seen you.”

“Yeah, I haven’t been doing much. You know, working and, you know, life. How about you? I haven’t seen you since I moved out of my house,” Katniss said, hoping he would have a more interesting answer than her own.

“I got married,” he said raising his hand to show her a silver wedding band.

Katniss nodded. “I see. Well, congratulations, any kids yet?”

“One, a son. He’s in school now while I work part-time here,” he answered looking at the floor.

Katniss hated small talk, but what else could she ask or say? It had been so long since she’d seen him and even then they were only next door neighbors. He had several classes with her from time to time, but nothing deep was ever established between them. It made for a very short conversation. After some time she remembered his parents owned a bakery. “What about your parents?”

“Oh, they’re doing fine. They retired not too long ago and my older brothers run the old bakery now. I help sometimes, but now I work here,” Peeta said pointing to the small bakery he’d been in.

Katniss frowned. “Won’t your brothers need more help?”

“Well, the bakery is doing so good nowadays that they have their own employees and, well, I only just got back from the Navy. I was the chef-slash-cook.” Peeta muttered rubbing the back of his neck. Katniss noticed that it was a nervous tick of his.

“The Navy, wow, did your wife travel with you?” Katniss asked.

Peeta nodded without answering looking down at his hand and twirling his ring around again. He lifted his gaze back to her. “I needed to establish my own line of work and gain more experience other than my parents’ bakery.”

“Oh,” Katniss muttered nodding.

Peeta dug his hands into his pockets. “Gotta start somewhere if I plan to open my own cafe.”

“Wouldn’t working in a restaurant make more sense?” Katniss asked mystified.

“Well, despite having been in the Navy, I couldn’t find work so easily. Maybe having relied on my parents’ bakery wasn’t such a good idea,” he answered shrugging.

Katniss was sure she would have spoken to him for longer if a customer hadn’t come in to ask for an order. Peeta looked at the disgruntled suit and nodded quickly before turning back to her, “I’ll be done quickly, can you wait for me? Maybe we can have lunch during my break and catch up.”

Katniss shook her head. “Can’t. I have a deadline to hit and if I don’t my boss will have my head.”

“Well, then I guess I’ll see you around. It was good to see you,” Peeta answered quickly, looking nervously at the waiting customer. She noticed his shoulders drooped a bit.

Katniss grinned and waved awkwardly as she walked with cart in hands towards the cashier line. “Sure, I’ll see you around.”

Once she had put her groceries in the house, she walked about her kitchen and rummaged in the fridge before deciding that she’d have to forego the fresh slices of bread that Peeta had been selling and settle on Rice Krispies and milk. To be honest, she was caught so off guard upon seeing her old neighbor that she’d all but forgotten her precious bread. The fact that she somehow still remembered his name when all her other schoolmate’s names’ were but a distant memory as it wasn’t her strongest suit. But she’d remembered him. She hadn’t even spoken much to him back when they were neighbors or in between classes for that matter. Now here she was sitting in front of her computer with a bowl of cereal in hand as she stared at her rough draft riddled with red marks. Who knew writing a piece on a little girl’s long-awaited trip to Disney Land provided by Make-a-wish could be so hard? Yet here she was, with half her work scratched off staring back at her as she crunched on the snappy cereal. It was like eating soggy pop rocks.

Suddenly, her Skype went off and the pic of Johanna’s middle finger flashed on the screen. Katniss clicked on the answer icon and saw her best friend on the verge of a Hulk status rant.

“Katniss, give me a reason not to kill Coin!” Johanna gritted out.

Katniss sighed. “Because it’s against the law of Panem State and if you do we’ll both go to jail because you know I’ll help you bury the body and I really can’t leave Willow with my mother.”

Johanna took several gulps to calm herself. None of it worked until she grunted like a bear and took several deep breaths before looking back at her. “Right, but can I fantasize about her death?”

“Fantasize all you want. No one can put you in jail for your thoughts,” Katniss replied swallowing her cereal. 

Johanna gave her a smirk. “I should be in jail for my thoughts.”

Katniss rolled her eyes. Yes, Johanna was that friend that turned everything into a dirty conversation. “What did she do this time?”

“She asked me to rewrite the whole fucking article,” Johanna groaned massaging her temples. “I mean, what more is there to say on a fucking weather report that hasn’t already been said?”

Katniss pursed her lips thoughtfully, “Well there’s words and you can quote me. Words like, Clouds, lots of clouds, cumulonimbus, vapor, um let’s see… did I say clouds already?”

Johanna did not look amused. “Katniss, shut the fuck up.”

“No, and for your information, I have to fix my own article for the umpteenth time so, you’re not alone,” Katniss reminded her friend.

Johanna, ever the drama queen, gasped and backed away as though offended. “Oh, she only asked you to fix it? Wow, she must really like you.”

At that Katniss flipped her off.

Johanna groaned once more and sighed, “Kat, please tell me something interesting to get my mind off of wanting to quit this stupid paper.”

“You can’t quit, you’ve got bills, and I forbid you to leave me alone with her,” Katniss warned.

“Whyyyy?!!!” Johanna whined.

“Because if you’re suffering, so am I, and I will hunt you down if you leave me with her,” Katniss explained.

Sucking her teeth, Johanna rolled her eyes. “Fiiiine, but know that I only do this because I mildly like you.”

Katniss didn’t take the words to heart because, as much as Johanna only said she liked her, she was the first one to stand up for her and the sort of person who put all her effort besides Prim when it came to Willow. So yeah, she was only mildly liked, but Willow was loved, and that was more than enough for her.

Katniss took in a deep breath. “Guess who I saw today?”

“Who?” Johanna asked looking rather distracted but enthralled.

“Peeta Mellark,” Katniss replied playing with her milk and bits of cereal floating on the surface.

Johanna frowned even deeper. “Who the hell is that?”

Katniss took in another deep breath in order to continue. “He used to go to my high school, and he was my next door neighbor.”

Johanna’s eyes widened as she sat up straighter, her attention now riveted on the new information. “Oh, is he hot?”

“He’s handsome,” Katniss replied slurping a bit of the sodden cereal and milk on her spoon.

Johanna rolled her eyes again. “Bitch, I’m not asking you if he’s handsome, my fucking landlord is handsome, I asked if he was hot, as in fuckable.”

“I don’t really know, I haven’t noticed,” Katniss replied matter of factly.

Johanna smirked. “Uh huh, yeah right. Fucking liar.”

“Well, it doesn’t even matter if he’s hot or not, the point is he’s married,” Katniss replied quickly.

“Then, why the fuck did you mention him if he was married?” Johanna asked looking like the cat that got the cream.

Katniss put her half eaten bowl of cereal on her coffee table before running her hand across her face. “ Oh my god, you asked me to distract you.”

“Yeah, but the main focus is single guys that can get lame ass Gale out of your head,” Johanna reminded her.

“That’s not nice,” Katniss replied, trying to hide her smile but failing miserably. “He’s the father of my child.”

“Still doesn’t make him any less lame and ridiculous. He just randomly decided that you, a good wife and mother, not to mention super gorgeous and way out of his league, was no longer the object of his affection and instead decided to switch you for a straight up whore who will most likely cheat on him. God, I hope she cheats on him. Karma cannot let this pass,” Johanna whispered the last part with gusto.

Katniss swallowed her pain. “Can we please not talk about him today?”

Johanna, noticing she’d gone too far, raised her hands in surrender. “Sorry, so anyway what’s with you mentioning that Peter dude?”

“Pee-tah. Like Pita Bread or PETA that animal rights group,” Katniss enunciated his name, wondering why she had to make sure her friend said it correctly.

“Okay, Peeta. Whatever, what’s he to you?” Johanna asked.

Katniss retrieved the bowl of leftover cereal and drank the milk with bits of soggy Rice Krispies floating about sparsely. “I don’t want to talk about him either. Now, how about we go back to doing our work? You and I both take forever to get shit done and we have to hand this in first thing tomorrow.”

“Oh no, Katniss, you’re not gonna leave me with this curiosity,” Johanna warned.

Katniss took another long gulp of her milk, and set the empty bowl back on the coffee table. “Tough, We got shit to do.”

“Just know that you’re on seriously thin ice and you’re breaking the girl code,” Johanna hinted.

Katniss rolled her eyes. “There is no girl code.”

“Yes, there is. Ask Prim,” Johanna half yelled. The poor woman looked like she was on the verge of teetering from the need to know every detail.

“Well, I’m not saying another word on the subject, and we need to get back to work,” Katniss reminded her.

“I hate you,” Johanna spit out while pouting like a toddler.

Katniss shook her head. “No, you don’t.”

“Kat, please, you can’t leave me like this! Just tell me one litt–,” Johanna yelled as Katniss moved her arrow to end the call.

“BYE!” Katniss interrupted pressing on the red icon. She looked around her living room and puffed out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding in.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my wonderful Lovelies! 
> 
> It is I, back again with a weekly update on this crazy yet I hopefully charming story. Now I would like to thank a few people who’ve helped me to flesh this story out. First, to my two amazing and patient beta’s @titaniasfics & @javistg. Second, to @mega-aulover for being the best cheerleader a friend could ever ask for. Third, to my incredibly sexy husband for being the biggest support system a woman could ever hope for. And finally, to @sunsetsrmydreams for the beautiful banner. This is a continuation of @peetaisbae Xmas gift and as always please don’t forget to read and review ! ;)
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By the time Katniss arrived at Panem’s world office with a set of newly printed and revised article, Johanna was running behind her holding her wrist in a vice-like grip. 

“Woman, you will tell me all about this Peeta dude or so help me god,” Johanna seethed. 

Katniss sighed. “Jo, I’m not saying anything and no matter how much you plead and threaten, you know I won’t budge. Now, please let me go, I have to hand this stupid article to Coin.” 

Having given up altogether, Johanna half sulked half walked next to her. “Why does she have us print the stupid thing when we already email it to her, not to mention why in the hell do we have us come all the way down here to hand it in like a couple of school children, and why so fucking early?” 

Katniss shrugged but kept on walking. 

Work handed in, and new project given to them by their boss, Johanna sat on her computer desk next to Katniss. Having her facebook connected, Katniss felt her phone buzz. Her messenger popped up with a little article about animal torture with a text from Jo. “PETA would disagree with this.” 

Katniss glanced down at her friend who was currently shaking with laughter. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. An hour passed and again her phone buzzed. They were the only ones in the office that Monday morning and Coin was circling about the room every so often like a vulture. 

Hiding her phone under her desk Katniss opened her messenger once again. This time there was just a picture of pita bread. Just the stupid bread. With half slit eyes, Katniss took a deep sigh as she furiously texted back to Johanna. “Jo, so help me god. leave me the hell alone or I will kick your ass and you know we’re equally matched.” 

Johanna, who’d been trying to hide a triumphant grin, texted her back. “Bitch, you wish.” 

“Then I’ll leave you here in this miserable office with Coin micromanaging your every move since I can make the excuse that my kid is sick and you know Coin will let me go.” Katniss texted back. 

Johanna looked horrified at the prospect. “No please, I’ll be good, I promise.” 

Katniss looked back at Johanna and nodded once to show that she meant business, but there she sat for another excruciating six hours in the silent office as people filed in quietly and sat to do their work. If only she hadn’t asked for a full time she wouldn’t have had to come in so early. 

Days passed and Katniss had been halfway through a good week until Gale showed up at her door. 

Hands on hips and wearing a frown, Katniss asked, “What’re you doing here?” 

“What do you mean what am I doing here? I’m here to see my kid,” Gale replied leaning against the door frame. 

“She’s not back from school yet, you should know that,” Katniss said pointing to the clock on the wall that read twelve o'clock and walked into the living room and leaving the door open so that he could enter. 

The door closed as he sauntered in like he owned the place. “Oof, you gotta clean up in here. Is this how you’re raising my child?” 

“At least I’m raising her, which is more than I can say for you!” Katniss turned, nose flaring. Gale had the uncanny ability to piss her off like no other. 

Gale raised his hands. “I was on my honeymoon.” 

“Oh yes, your honeymoon. I guess you were so entertained you forgot to call your daughter,” Katniss commented crossing her arms. 

Gale stepped closer, his hands on his hips. “Well, what the fuck would you have me do, call her while I’m with Glimmer? You know Willow can’t stand her.” 

“Gee, I wonder why?” Katniss muttered under her breath. She sighed and pursed her lips. “You couldn’t take five minutes off your day? Shit, Willow thought you’d forgotten her.”

Gale ran his hand through his hair. “Look, Katniss, I’m not here to fight.” 

“Could’ve fooled me!” Katniss said. 

Growling, Gale took another step forward. “Do you always have to have the last word? No wonder I divorced you!” 

“What the hell did you come here for?” Katniss asked after a couple of minutes. 

Gale reached into his wallet and handed her a check. “It’s for the child support.” 

Katniss looked down at the check and nodded. He might not have been a good husband, but at least he provided for his child. “Thank you.” 

Gale nodded. “I was actually thinking that it would be better if you took part in some of Willow’s school activities.” 

“What the hell do you mean? I help with homework,” Katniss asked. 

“Not homework, I mean like school-based activities, like volunteer work,” Gale explained. 

Katniss crossed her arms even tighter. “Gale, when do you suppose I’d have time for that? I work a full time.” 

“Then make it a part-time,” Gale nonchalantly shrugged. 

Katniss ran her hand exasperatedly across her face. “You’re kidding me, right? Have you any idea how long it took me to convince Coin to give me that full time? Besides, where do you think I’m gonna get the money that I’m currently getting?” 

“Money’s not the problem, I’ll give you whatever is left of your earnings and then some,” Gale replied. 

Katniss, who married him halfway through college, was now regretting her foolish notions of romanticism. Gale was a couple years older than her. He’d been a junior at Panem High when she had entered freshman year and things had been so rosy back then. 

She’d naively fell in love with the shared interests and what used to be mutual respect until Gale went to College only to drop out almost immediately. It was at her behest that he finally settled on a career in business that he finally flourished. With it had come his constant need to control every aspect of their life, and it only got worse once Willow was born. 

Perhaps things wouldn’t have been so bad if the doctor hadn’t had to explicitly explain to him that she was unable to bear any more children due to an abnormality in her uterus. If she were to get pregnant again, she had a high risk of dying. Instead of understanding, Gale simply blamed her after she had adamantly refused to carry another kid on his whim. 

She knew what it was like to be an orphan, and she damn well made sure not to make her daughter one. Still, she stuck through it all, hoping that one day the situation would change. That he would change, but it wasn’t so. 

Gale never wanted to change, as he thought there was nothing wrong with him, to begin with, and he refused to go to a couple’s therapist.

It wasn’t until he’d gotten drunk one evening that he pulled her next to him on the sofa and gave her a glimmer of hope. She thought things would be alright when he began to kiss her until he abruptly stopped and looked at her swollen lips, mussed hair and skewed shirt. He’d lazily frowned in all his drunken stupor and announced that he couldn’t muster the strength to sleep with her any longer because he just wasn’t attracted to her anymore. That he’d fallen in love with someone else, and then sat there laughing as she straightened her shirt with tears streaming down her cheeks carrying her humiliation along with it.

The next day he served her with divorce papers and the rest was history. 

“It must be so easy for you to throw your money out there huh, Gale?” Katniss accused. 

Gale rolled his eyes. “Listen, I don’t have a lot of time, Glimmer is waiting out in the car. I just wanted to tell you I went to see a therapist.” 

“You saw a therapist?” Katniss was impressed. 

“My general doctor recommended it,” he swiftly informed, “ Anyway, she said it would be a good idea if our daughter spent more time with either of us and since I’m going to be busy at the office, I thought you could do it,” 

Katniss frowned. “Gale, I don’t think that’s what your therapist meant.”

“Are you gonna take the offer or not?” Gale imposed through gritted teeth. 

Taking a deep breath, Katniss shrugged. “Sure, I’ll see what I can do. There’s a parent-teacher conference coming up this week so maybe I can find out what I can do then, but I’m not making any promises.” 

“Great, text me when you get something ok?” Gale replied walking towards the door and all but ran out into the sunlight.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi ya’ll, it’s me again with the fourth installment of my crazy story. As always, I’d like to credit the most awesome beta’s known to man. @titaniasfics and @javisfreckles . Also to the ever wonderful @mega-aulover and husband for being so supportive. Finally to @sunsetsrmydreams for the sweet banner! I hope you all like this chapter. This is a continuation for @peetaisbae xmas present and I’ll let you guys in on a little secret. The school that my daughter is going to currently, was once my old middle school :) 
> 
> P.S. Please don’t forget to read, review! 
> 
>  
> 
> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/ADW.png.html)  
> 
> 
>  
> 
> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/kiddos_1.gif.html)  
> 

The lunchroom buzzed noisily about as parents sat next to their kids waiting to be wrangled into the auditorium for several words from the principal. 

Looking around, Katniss searched for Willow’s teacher who was now lining the kids up when she suddenly noticed a little blond boy who looked like the exact replica of Peeta running towards Willow. 

“Hey, bud, wait up,” called Peeta striding quickly in his son’s direction. 

Katniss smiled and looked around for a woman running behind Peeta, but saw none. ‘Maybe she couldn’t make it,’ thought Katniss. 

She looked down at Willow who was trying to get her attention “Mom, that’s my friend, Rye!” 

Peeta, who’d crouched down to tickle his son, looked up at Willow when Rye pointed her out to him. He smiled brilliantly at her. His gentle, cheerful eyes filled with honest appreciation and something else Katniss couldn’t quite put her finger on. However, upon finding out that Katniss was Willow’s mom, he quickly stood up, eyes wide with surprise, and extended his hand out to say hi to her. Katniss shook his hand and a jolt of something resembling a shock crackled between their fingers. 

Pulling her hand back gingerly, Katniss muttered a quick ‘Sorry’. Stupid static cling.

Peeta looked down at his son and told him that the school they were currently attending used to be their old high school and that he and Katniss had once been classmates and neighbors. 

“So, how come you guys aren’t friends anymore?” Rye asked, big wide eyes staring back at his father. 

Katniss smiled when Peeta turned crimson. Crouching down next to the six-year-old, she smiled and took his hand in hers and shook it. “Hello, Rye. My name is Katniss, nice to meet you. To answer your question, your daddy and I just lost touch. We haven’t seen each other in a long time.” 

“Why?” Rye asked, innocence mirrored in his eyes. 

Peeta placed his hand on his son’s shoulder capturing his attention. “I think that’s enough questions for today Rye. Maybe I can answer your questions in the car later.” 

“I don’t mind,” Katniss told Peeta and looked back at the wide-eyed boy before her shrugging. “I moved away.” 

Blinking several times, Rye looked at her as though she were joking but not quite understanding the punchline. “Why?” 

“Rye, please stop,” Peeta repeated. 

Before Katniss could answer, her daughter cut in, “Because my grandpa died. He went into a burning building to save some people and the place exploded to smithereens.” 

“Willow!” Katniss swiveled her head to look at her daughter. 

Willow looked so unabashed about the disclosure that she just shrugged. “What? It’s the truth.” 

“But do you have to be so morbid?” Katniss asked placing her head in her hand and shaking it. 

“I’m just telling it like it is!” Willow replied. 

Peeta chuckled above them as Katniss stood up mortified by her daughter’s lack of filter. 

“You hear that dad? Willow’s grandpa died. Just like mom,” Rye commented looking up at his dad. 

At that, Peeta’s lips fell flat as he frowned. “Rye, that’s not an appropriate conversation or comment for a moment like this.”

Katniss blinked several times and looked down at Peeta’s wedding ring. So that’s why his wife wasn’t here with them, she’d passed away. She wondered how long ago it had been. 

“You’ll have to excuse my son, he speaks of his mother whenever he can,” Peeta apologized. 

Smiling, Katniss looked down at Rye. “Good.” 

Rye, who’d looked like a baby whose bottle had been taken away, changed his pout for a radiant smile. He turned his attention to Willow as the line began to move. “Hey Willow, is your daddy dead like my mom?” 

Peeta blushed deeper if that were possible, he gulped several times. “Rye, stop with the death talk,” he warned as he walked beside his son with Katniss following suit. 

“Sorry daddy!” Rye quickly replied. 

Willow shrugged. “No, my daddy’s not dead, but my parents are divorced. Sometimes it feels like he’s dead because I barely see him.” 

The teacher looked back at the line and threw a warning look at both Katniss and Peeta who were blushing like tomatoes. 

Katniss sputtered about for a few seconds, “What is with all this death talk! Willow, this is warning number one. Do I need to get to three?” 

“No, momma,” Willow replied sulking. 

Peeta chuckled and shook his head. “Well, she’s certainly got a mind of her own.” 

“Tell me about it,” muttered Katniss under her breath. 

Thankfully, there had been no further surprises save for the pleasant ones when she found out that Willow had been doing so great in class. 

She was well on her way out when she saw a sign for a PTA recruitment and, remembering her earlier promise to Gale, she shrugged and went to sign her name in a paper slip before putting it in a decorated box. It would be a long shot but, if by some miracle she got an answer back, then she’d have more of an incentive for Coin to change her work schedule. 

Walking towards the exit and her car, Katniss saw a very pleased Peeta waiting for her. 

“You’re still here?” Katniss asked frowning. 

Peeta shrugged. “Thought I’d say goodbye properly this time.” 

Katniss smiled “Guess I’ll see you around, huh?” 

“Guess so,” Peeta replied. 

Willow waved at Rye and vice versa before walking out into the cold. Katniss settled her daughter into the car and sat to start the ignition, except her stupid car wouldn’t cooperate. She tried several more times when she jumped upon hearing someone knock on the window.

“Need help?” He pointed to the front of the car where the motor was, and she nodded gratefully. 

Stepping out she went around to her trunk to retrieve a flashlight while Peeta opened the hood. 

“Is it bad?” Katniss asked. 

Peeta nodded. “I think so. This car is kind of old and I think it was already in its last life.”

“Aw shit, now what am I gonna do?” Katniss sighed. 

Closing the hood, Peeta dusted his hands. “Well, for one, you could take Willow to my car with her booster seat and I’ll take you guys home. I’ll call a buddy of mine to come and pick up your car with his crane. I’m sure he’ll do it for free if I ask him to.” 

“Are you sure?” Katniss asked. “I don’t want to inconvenience you.” 

“Nonsense, I’m sure it’ll be fine. Now, why don’t you get willow out of this car before she turns into an icicle?” Peeta recommended. 

looking at her daughter, Katniss walked and did as advised. Once everything was settled, all four sat in the heated Kia looking rather comfortable as Willow and Rye animatedly chatted about something or the other. Peeta turned to navigate to her house as she gave him directions. All the while the dulcet tones of Ed Sheeran lowly coming out the radio speakers. 

Once home, Katniss insisted on offering them something to eat which Rye enthusiastically agreed to when Willow promised to show him her collection of shiny rocks. 

Peeta simply chuckled as he stepped out of the car and locked it, his son bounding happily in front of him. “I haven’t seen him this happy in over a year,” he said showing his hands into his coat pockets. 

Katniss smiled and, although her curiosity was piqued, she decided to keep silent so as not to bring up painful memories and to keep him from having to ask about her own miserable existence. 

Later that night, thanks to Peeta’s helpful hands, they sat on the table eating leftover lasagna and fresh Italian salad. The kids opted for the lasagna sans salad, but all in all, it was a pleasant night. 

It wasn’t until he was putting on his coat, that Peeta turned to look at her. “I was meaning to ask you, how are you gonna be getting around?” 

“Bus, maybe? If I’m lucky my friend Johanna will do me the favor of driving me around,” Katniss replied leaning against the kitchen counter. 

Peeta frowned and took out his own car keys, placing them on the kitchen counter. “Take my car.” 

Surprised, Katniss blinked wide eyes. “Peeta, no. I can’t.”

“I’m not gonna have you going around begging for rides. Come on, just take the keys,” Peeta insisted.

“But, how’re you gonna get home?” Katniss asked. 

Taking out his cell phone, Peeta stared at the screen as he clicked about. “I’ll call an Uber.” 

“But then how are you gonna be getting around?” Katniss asked. 

“I live right around the corner of the school, I’ll figure it out. You can always return this one when you’ve sorted out your transportation status,” Peeta reasoned. 

Katniss stared at the keys and wondered if she hadn’t been taking advantage of his generosity, but upon being left with the impending conundrum Katniss nodded thanking him profusely. 

“It’s not big deal and, listen, don’t worry about the car seat,” Peeta said pulling Rye’s zipper closed. 

Peeta waved at her as Rye ran over to Willow to give her a hug accompanied by a quick bye. 

Katniss walked over to the window when the door closed and, true to his word, an Uber was waiting outside for him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, 
> 
> I’m so sorry I didn’t post this last night I was beyond exhausted because things at home have been hectic and I completely forgot it was a Monday! *cringes* However, better late than never right? Here is chapter 5 and let me be the first to thank my wonderful betas @titaniasfics @javistg for being not ly supportive but having done this on such short notice. Thank you to @sunsetsrmydreams for the awesome banner and thank you to the ever kind and sweet @mega-aulover for being the most amazing friend anyone could ever ask for. Finally to my incredible husband who spoils me rotten and is my biggest fan. I could never do any of this if he wasn’t there to push me. As always this is a continuation of @peetaisbae xmas gift and please don’t forget to read, review, and reblog as it brings me great joy to read your reactions. 
> 
> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/ADW.png.html)
> 
> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/prim%20and%20katniss.gif.html)

“Hey, whose car is that in your parking spot and where the hell is yours?” Prim asked pointing to the blue Kia taking her old faithful’s spot. She walked in and quickly took off her coat flinging it on the couch.

“For god’s sake, Prim, there’s a coat hanger right there,” Katniss exclaimed, pointing to the tall wooden stand holding her own coat. “And could you please just take off your shoes? You’re tracking all the salt and dirt from the snow.”

Rolling her eyes, Prim sat on the couch and proceeded to take off her boots, followed by a quick apology. “Now, about that car.”

“Remember the Mellarks that used to live next to us when daddy was alive?” Katniss asked.

Prim looked thoughtful. “I think so. Didn’t they have three sons?”

“Yup, the very same.” Katniss asserted. Prim made a gesture for her to continue and, huffing, Katniss resumed. “Well, their youngest, Peeta, used to go to school with me.”

“Oh, you mean the blond one that went all googly-eyed every time he looked at you? His mom was a real bitch,” Prim added.

Katniss frowned. “He didn’t go googly-eyed, and that’s not a nice thing to say about his mom.”

“That didn’t make her any less of a bitch and, for the record, you never noticed how much he liked you, but boy did he have a huge crush on you,” Prim proclaimed, “Anyway, what about him?”

Katniss knew Prim wouldn’t be as easily distracted as Johanna and so on she moved with her tale of the broken down car, the unexpected meetings, and the wife that tragically passed away.

Prim, who’d been listening intently, blew out a breath. “Well, fuck.”

“Prim!” Katniss started.

“You have to admit it’s a pretty astounding situation,” Prim began.

Katniss sat next to her sister with a leg tucked underneath. “Astounding, how?”

 

Prim sat mulling her words before she started. “I mean, picture this, we moved out of District Eleven more than a decade ago and then our next door neighbor, who I’m sure has been in love with you since forever—,” 

“Love? I don’t think he was in love.” Katniss began.

“Trust me, he was, and don’t interrupt me,” Prim interjected. “He was absolutely in love with you. Anyway, we ended up leaving because of dad’s accident and now you’ve found him here, a widower no less, and now you’re divorced. It feels to me like the makings of a destined love.”

Katniss mulled her sister’s words in her head. “Peeta and I? Destined for love, are you out of your mind?”

Prim grabbed Katniss’s hand in hers. “Kat, did you find him just a little attractive?”

Caught off guard by Prim’s earnestness, Katniss nodded dumbly.

“And don’t you think you’ve had enough time to figure out that nothing with Gale will ever get fixed?” Prim continued.

Katniss shrugged.

Prim rolled her eye. “Kat, I love you, I really do, but you have got to let Gale go. It’s been two years and the asshole hasn’t even apologized for the shithole he’s left you in.”

“Prim, I’m not going to have this conversation again.” Katniss began getting up from the couch and walking over to the kitchen to serve herself a cup of tea.

If she thought she was free, she had been wrong, because Prim followed closely behind. “Katniss, we have to talk about this.”

“I am not going to badmouth Willow’s father,” Katniss replied, taking a teacup out of the cupboard.

She could feel Prim rolling her eyes behind her back. “Katniss, accepting that he was a flaming douchebag is not bad mouthing him and besides, Willow isn’t even here to listen to any of this crap.”

“It still doesn’t make it right. Now, chamomile or Earl Grey?” Katniss replied filling up the teapot and placing it on the stove.

“Earl Grey,” Prim answered quickly. “But Kat, I know I’m right when I’m saying that this thing with Peeta—,”

“What thing? Nothing happened beyond him giving me a lift and letting me borrow his car,” Katniss cut in.

“That’s exactly it, he’s done more for you and Willow in the two times you’ve seen each other than Gale has his entire relationship with you, and you cannot pretend that he’s been a good father because money doesn’t make him so,” Prim insisted.

Katniss ran her hand through her face. “Prim, please stop. There’s nothing between Peeta and I that hasn’t been just two people reconnecting as friends, crush or no crush.”

Prim finally having noticed Katniss’ despair raised her hand in surrender. “I’m just saying that even if Peeta isn’t the one, you should at least open yourself up to the possibility of love, no matter who it is because you have more than earned it.”

“Yeah, well my luck isn’t the greatest, and Peeta has been nothing but kind to me. I just can’t pretend that he would ever notice me when he’s still wearing his wedding band and not to mention I’m a wreck myself,” Katniss said while the teapot whistled and she took her pot holder to lift and pour the water into ready set cups.

Prim smiled as she poured her sugar cubes into the cups and stirred. “Well, let me just say you’re the cutest wreck I’ve ever seen.”

At that Katniss scoffed as they walked back to the kitchen, tea in hand.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, 
> 
> I’m back with another chapter and although I was supposed to have posted this yesterday, I realized that keeping up with Mondays is basically impossible considering my busy schedule and I like many others suffer severely from a bad case of Mondays. So from now on, I’ll be posting a new chapter every Tuesdays or Wednesdays by 8 p.m. sharp. Thank you guys for being so amazing and know that I appreciate each and every wonderful comment. I would also like to thank my awesome betas @titaniasfics and @javistg . To my three best cheerleaders@mega-aulover @jobanana7 and my sexy hubby and finally to @sunsetsrmydream for her beautiful banner. As always I hope @peetaismylove continues to love her ongoing x-mas present! Here’s chapter 6. Please don’t forget to read, review
> 
> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/ADW.png.html)
> 
> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/kiddos_2.gif.html)

Sitting in the bathtub Katniss frowned as she lazily stared at the bubbles pondering why she still hadn’t gotten Peeta out of her mind. His sky blue eyes seemed to be permanently seared into her memory since their last encounter. Furthermore, why was she sitting in a bathtub thinking about Peeta Mellark when he’d all but been a footnote in her youth?

The phone rang.

“Hello?” Katniss answered.

“Mrs. Everdeen? Hi, this is Sylvia from Panem Elementary. I’d like to congratulate you because you’ve been chosen for the position of secretary in our school’s PTA,” said the tinkly voice at the other end of the line.

Katniss blinked. “I was?”

“Yes, you’d be glad to know that you’ll be working closely with our principal and staff to ensure the best education is being provided for your child and the rest of the school,” said the voice.

“May I ask your name?” Katniss asked.

A tinkly laughter interrupted her. “Sylvia, I’m the Principal’s secretary.”

Katniss nodded guessing the excuse she’d plan to give Coin was going to have to be implemented after all.” Well, thank you. I’ll do the best I can to ensure my job is adequately fulfilled.”

“Now, keep in mind our first meeting will be a week from today at nine in the morning. Hope to see you there, and be advised to dress up as we will be taking pictures to post on our school’s website. Not to mention we will be having an assembly to introduce the members to the other parents right after our first meeting. Hope to see you soon!” Sylvia added before hanging up.

Katniss thanked her for the last time and grabbed her phone to text Gale about her involvement in the PTA only to receive a thumbs up. Thinking there was nothing more left than having to speak to her boss, Katniss dialed and cringed hoping she would have to leave a message. No such luck was available when Coin’s frigid voice came through.

Bracing herself, Katniss went off into a discourse of how much she needed to change her schedule, even going so far as to promise her the link to the school’s website. Thankfully, Coin had been in one of her rare good moods and agreed to change her to a part-time schedule if she made sure that none of her work would suffer any upset.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Katniss hung up and sank deeper into the bubbly warmth of her bathtub.

The week passed by so quickly that Katniss wondered why she hadn’t decided on her wardrobe before instead of having to stand in her cold room while water dripped down her hair and onto her shoulders. Katniss rummaged in her closet and decided that maybe the best she could do was wear the dress she’d been forced to endure for one of the office’s enforced parties. It was meant to encourage employee-employer loyalty and togetherness, but it mostly just came off as forced and awkward. Hating small talk, Katniss usually sat in her cubicle, despite Johanna constantly begging her to join the circle of drunk workmates.

“You need to get drunk, woman and laid!” Johanna would often say pulling at her arm. But her efforts were fruitless as Katniss adamantly refused, and even threatened to leave.

Pulling the black and white garment out, Katniss looked about for her most hated shoes. She decided that maybe she could get away with wearing her flats instead, and threw the stupid heels into the corner of the room sighing contently when she slipped her black ballerina slippers on her feet.

“Wow, you look, gorgeous momma,” Willow quipped and then frowned. “but why are you dressed like that?”

Katniss smiled because no one’s opinion was more important than that of her six-year-old. “I have a meeting at your school this morning so I have to dress appropriately.”

Willow nodded understanding. “Well, I’m gonna be the girl with the prettiest mom there.”

“Thank you, baby. Now, did you brush your teeth?” Katniss asked, seeing her fully uniformed daughter with her hair in disarray.

At that, Willow nodded and gifted her with a toothy grin. Her two bottom front teeth were missing and so Katniss smiled and took her by the hand to do her hair. After splitting her daughter's hair into two braids, Katniss rushed to finish getting ready and ran out the door.

Willow ran out of the car and bounded into the school. Having a full hour until the meeting Katniss decided that a trip to Starbucks was in order since she hadn’t had a chance to eat anything before stepping out of the house and perhaps she could go into a car dealership to rent out a cheap model while she saved some money to purchase another one. She drove to her nearest car rental and quickly stopped by for a coffee before leaving a downpayment and a promise to return for the rented car.

She all but sped back to the school and ran out of the car and into the school’s main entrance when she noticed Peeta standing amongst the row of moms who were currently ogling his every feature.

Peeta, on the other hand, looked uncomfortable, and when he saw Katniss bursting through the door his stance relaxed considerably.

“Hey, what’re you doing here?” Katniss asked out of breath as she removed her coat.

Peeta shrugged. “I got picked as the Treasurer.”

“You’re in the PTA, why?” Katniss asked and quickly wish she hadn’t because she realized it sounded rather rude. 

Peeta rubbed the back of his neck. “I wasn’t getting many hours at work and so I thought maybe I could do something to be a bigger part of Rye’s school and all. Delly would often say that when she’d become a mother she would make sure to volunteer often so as to make sure our child felt her support. She thought it was important to make her presence distinctly know when it came to our son’s life. Can’t say she was wrong. So I thought to take her advice and signed up for the PTA.”

Katniss nodded. “I see. Well, she was wise.”

“Yeah, she was,” Peeta whispered.

Katniss noticed he still hadn’t taken off his wedding ring and, now that she really looked at him, she realized he cut quite a distinguished and striking figure. His navy blue jacket complimented the khaki pants that were wrapped around a set of what looked like strong steady legs. His light blue button down was open in a very small V at the neck letting out a few sprigs of blond chest hair to sneak out. The coif of blond hair made him look so boyish, and the dimple on his chin did him no favors if his goal was not to stick out like a sore thumb. He was all in all, beyond handsome, and Katniss felt so guilty for checking him out, especially after knowing that he was still harboring some feelings for his wife. She shook her head and gulped as the Principal called the four members of the PTA to follow him into the conference room.

After several awkward introductions, the group got into a discussion on what they thought would be attainable goals. That’s when Katniss realized the mistake she’d made in joining the PTA.

“I’m here for the safety of my child, first and foremost, and I’m not here to please anyone else. I believe we should do our damndest to ensure that we’re doing everything that we can to implement certain rules and regulations for the sake of safety,” stated a fox-faced looking woman who was known as Finch; now their new PTA President.

Madge, the Vice President, gave a small timid nod as Katniss tried not to lunge herself at the fox-faced know-it-all. It was enough that the woman all but strongly suggested that she was the reason for the formation of the PTA and her unending qualifications. Katniss looked next to her and noticed an attentive, albeit stoic, Peeta.

“I mean, I’m just saying we need to get moving on all of our ideas, and with Katniss here,” Finch signaled to her, “I’m sure we can get a lot done. Of course, the job of the Secretary cannot be overlooked and she’s a very important part of the team. I’m positive we’ll get along famously, won’t we, Katniss?”

Katniss gave a tight grin and nodded.

Peeta unclasped his hands. “We are all an important part of this group and none of our jobs can be overlooked.”

“Of course, Peeta, and on that note, I propose we make a list of things we should be focusing on since we have so much to do as Halloween is almost upon us,” Finch added.

Katniss sighed, “Um actually I think we should just slow down a bit and make sure we’re not rushing into plans that could end up kicking us in the ass. The point is to implement things carefully so that they can end up being a success.”

Peeta looked at her and smiled encouragingly while Madge nodded earnestly.

Finch bristled and pursed her lips. “Of course, I agree, but you know we’re here to make changes and work with the other parents and teachers to make sure that everything runs smoothly, and we really don’t have a lot of time since this is the safety and educational excellence of our children.”

The Principal, noticing an inevitable battle of wills, stood abruptly and announced they had still to present themselves to the waiting parents in the auditorium and the subsequent pictures.

Finch haughtily stood and walked over to Katniss who’d been picking up her bag from the floor. “I mean no disrespect, but I’m not here to be liked. It is my duty as president to implement changes and ideas as quickly as possible, and nothing or anyone will get in my way.”

Katniss tightened her fist around her tote’s strap. It took everything in her power to not knock her teeth out but, alas, that would be highly frowned upon, and Willow didn’t need the reputation of a difficult mother. She nodded quickly and lifted her bag onto her shoulder, choosing to walk away briskly before she let out a string of unnecessary expletives thrown at Hitler/Finch.

Once the customary pictures were taken, Katniss waited for Peeta to start walking out into the cold when she noticed Finch threw her a dirty look. Katniss frowned but kept on walking in order to catch up to Peeta.

“Peeta!” Katniss called and he turned to look back at her gifting her with the kindest smile she’d ever seen. She stepped up to him, rummaging into her coat pocket, and extended the borrowed keys out to him.

Peeta frowned. “You don’t need it anymore?”

Katniss shrugged. “I just left a downpayment for a car rental, so I thought to return the keys with my gratitude. I’ll be taking an Uber from here to pick up the other car.”

“Are you sure? Because I don’t mind letting you borrow it,” Peeta added.

Katniss nodded. “Yeah, thank you. You’ve been so kind, and I just can’t take advantage of your generosity any longer.”

Peeta nodded. “Well, okay then.” He took the keys off her hand and smiled.

“Don’t you have another car?” Katniss asked looking around for one he might’ve been getting into.

“Oh no, I live right around the corner. I only had this car last time because it was freezing outside. I walked here, but maybe I can drop you off at the dealership,” Peeta explained.

Katniss put her hands up and shook her head. “Oh, you really don’t have to do that.”

“Come on, it’ll be fine,” Peeta insisted.

Katniss sighed. “Well, if it’s not too much trouble, I guess, sure.”

Peeta grinned and walked over to the car with Katniss in tow. Once they were buckled in and on their way due to Katniss’ directions, he looked at her for a second. “So what did you think of the meeting?”

Katniss gave a faltering scoff and laughed, “It was a nightmare, and I think I made a mistake. If it hadn’t been for Gale insisting that I volunteer at the school I never would’ve signed up. That woman Finch is a nightmare, I think almost as bad as my boss.”

Peeta chuckled. “Yeah, I don’t think she likes you very much.”

Katniss nodded. “Oh well, guess she’ll have to tolerate me.”

“So, you married Gale huh?” Peeta asked after a minute of silence.

“Yeah, wasn’t my most brilliant plan.” Katniss sighed.

“What happened?” Peeta asked.

Katniss shrugged, “He stopped loving me. Guess after you have a kid, you aren’t as sexy or exciting as you use to be.”

“That’s not true,” Peeta countered.

Katniss looked at him with wide eyes and blinked several times. “Uh, take a right at the next light,” she said, ending the conversation altogether, or at least she hoped he wouldn’t pursue it any longer.

Thankfully, he took the hint and instead switched the subject to that of complaining about the PTA’s president.

Once at her destination, Katniss walked out of the car and gave him a wave along with a quick thank you. She was almost at the entrance of the building when she heard Peeta call her name. Katniss looked back as he all but ran her way.

“I forgot to give you back something that my friend found in your car when he towed it away,” He added rummaging into his pocket and bringing out her old wedding and engagement ring.

Katniss hesitated but took them with a small thank you. She looked up at his eyes, despair, and pain piercing her heart. She placed the rings into her pocket feeling them burn a hole into it, and walked into the office to claim the rented car as he backed away with an encouraging smile.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's day my wonderful readers. 
> 
> Normally I wouldn’t have posted a new chapter so soon but I thought “what the hell” and decided to give you all a new chapter to express my gratitude to those who have been so kind as to stick with me throughout this story. You guys are awesome! Now here are the following people I would like to thank for the undying support. @mega-aulover and @jobanana7 for being my biggest cheerleaders. To @javistg and @titaniasfics for being such wonderful betas. To @sunsetsrmydreams for her beautiful banner and to my wonderful husband for being so sweet and understanding about all my late nights. 
> 
> Please don’t forget to read and review :) 
> 
> P.S. some of the things depicted in the story come from true life and as impossible or even as wacky as it might seem some of this is quite true! 
> 
> Disclaimer: this story is a work of fanfiction. All characters and certain references belong to the wonderful Suzanne Collins. 
> 
>  
> 
> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/ADW.png.html)  
>    
> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/dino.gif.html)  
> 

Several days passed and upon Finch’s insistence, or rather constant nagging, Katniss agreed to meet up with her to make a plan of school activities that could be done and posted in the monthly school calendar. Katniss showed up with a laptop in hand and a resolution to be as pleasant as humanly possible. Thankfully, things had run much smoother with both parties satisfied with the results. 

However, all of that quickly changed when it came time to throw a small movie night party for the kid’s Halloween celebration. Katniss having been the secretary didn’t do much except turn in a small homemade flyer to advertise the event.

Peeta, on the other hand, messaged her to let her know that things were going as well as a tornado-ridden town but, as he was the treasurer, there was little he could do as to the planning. Katniss chuckled at the disorganization of said event but decided to let Finch fall on her face. Maybe that would bring her down a peg or two.

However, she wished she hadn’t done so. When she walked into the school that fateful Halloween afternoon she was greeted with an exasperated Peeta, a nervous Madge, and Finch who refused to accept her utter failure at planning.

The gyms’ bleachers hadn’t been pulled out for the guests to sit on. Instead, there was a gaggle of kids running around like unsupervised hellions. Finch had placed a bowl of candy for all kids to grab at their leisure, thereby leaving parents to deal with hyper children screaming at the top of their lungs. Cartons of juices were left on the floor as their contents carelessly spilled out onto the floor. The table that was meant for face painting was bombarded by a mob of kids, each proclaiming that they wanted a certain figurine painted on their skin.

Katniss rolled up her sleeves and texted Gale to come to the school to help. When that didn’t work, she facetimed him and passed the phone to Willow who enthusiastically begged her daddy to come and be a part of the fun. That had done it. He quickly agreed and was at the school in a matter of minutes.

Sighing she got to work on the face painting. Her back was killing her from leaning down for so long in order to paint each child’s face. Their miniature height was not doing her any favors as she sloppily ran some paint over a stencil pressed against the child’s face. The kids didn’t seem to mind her poor work and ran off contently with a glob of paint smearing their cheeks and hands.

“Katniss, can we leave already? This place is a disaster and I’m not sure Willow is having much fun either,” grimaced Gale.

Katniss looked at her daughter who was animatedly talking to Peeta’s son and some other friends. She had to agree on the disaster part, but there was yet a chance to improve the situation. “I think it’s you who wants to leave. Willow is fine, but you can go if you want. It’s not like she was excited to have you here or anything.”

Gale groaned like a petulant child. “You know I can’t do that. She won’t forgive me if I leave.”

“Well then, tough. Guess you’re just gonna have to grin and bear it,” Katniss replied cleaning her hands with some paper towel.

Gale rolled his eyes and walked away without another word.

“Everything okay?” Peeta asked looking rather stressed.

Katniss nodded. “Yeah, don’t worry about it.” She noticed his hair was mused and he wore a frown. “Are you okay?”

“The popcorn machine doesn’t work, and now we don’t have any popcorn for the movie,” Peeta answered. “Not to mention that I don’t think we’ve made as much money as the trouble was worth.”

Katniss groaned. “Great!”

Peeta nodded. “Let’s just hope nothing else happens.”

Well, all the hoping in the world didn’t deter the fact that the speakers meant for the movie didn’t work either. That was the final sign and they had to accept the fact that their very first attempt of a function was an absolute and utter failure as Katniss looked around at disgruntled parents who either carried the coats in hand or simply left their belongings on the floor.

It wasn’t until Finch burst through the gym doors with a lighted cake in hand singing Happy Birthday to her unsuspecting daughter that Katniss realized the reason for Finch’s rush into making this party happen. The little girl squealed as the rest of the children joined in on the chorus of song.

At that point, Katniss had had enough and waited for a slice of cake before grabbing her coat and leaving with an annoyed Gale following behind. She was fuming at Finch’s audacity. Gale, on the other hand, didn’t seem to care that her limit had been finally breached threw several complaints her way. Complaints she refused to handle which only made him press on even further.

His venomous tongue reminding her that even as a volunteer she was a failure. A failure like their marriage had been.

Katniss turned to stare daggers at him. “Gale, enough. I’m tired and, honestly, I don’t have the energy to fight with you right now, alright? Is this what you want Willow to see from you?”

“I mean, I’m just pointing out the obvious. You suck at this PTA thing and, whatever this was, it was definitely not a success,” Gale replied with Willow looking between father and mother.

Katniss growled. “You don’t think I know that? I didn’t have much control over the situation.”

“That, I could tell,” Gale added.

“Go home, Gale. I’ll bring Willow over to your house tomorrow morning for your weekly visit. Right now I don’t need to hear you talk about something you have no idea of,” Katniss spat out reaching for Willow’s hand and walked towards the car.

“I never knew you were this much of a bitch. Is this all-new, or is it something you’ve developed through the course of our divorce?” yelled Gale from behind her.

The setting sun brought forth a cold chill that stopped Katniss in her tracks as Willow gasped. She looked as startled as Katniss felt. Her little body shook with suppressed tears.

“Hey man, leave her alone.” Katniss heard Peeta’s voice call out. She turned and saw him walk towards her hands in his pockets. “Take Willow and Rye to the car and buckle them in,” he whispered to her.

Katniss nodded and all but whisked her daughter away along with the blond replica of Peeta to the comfort and safety of muffled voices. Turning on the ignition the car lit up the as the radio blared loudly and the heat blew about turning the car toasty warm. Not wanting Willow to hear any more of Gale’s stupid words Katniss lowered the volume enough to keep the kids from hearing anything else as she closed the doors after promising that she would be back soon with a kiss to the forehead and a wavering smile.

Stalking back to her ex, she saw that Peeta was now speaking to him. Gale had his arms crossed while Peeta had his hands on his hips, face set in an accusatory glance.

“Gale, what the fuck is your problem?” Katniss said once she was in his face.

Gale shrugged, looking as though her question was of no consequence. “I was just stating the obvious.”

“That wasn’t obvious. That was hurtful,” Peeta tersely said eyeing Gale.

“Do you have any idea how Willow must’ve felt?” Katniss searched for any sign remorse.

“Oh please, Katniss, she’s far too young to realize what my words meant,” Gale flippantly replied as though he hadn’t a care in the world.

Katniss flared her nose and stepped closer with Peeta standing behind her. “Wrong. She was devastated and, for the record, I’m not a bitch. I was doing what was asked of me and things didn’t turn out perfect. Newsflash, that’s not my fault. Now, you calling me that in front of our DAUGHTER, who will one day become a woman herself, is demeaning. How would you feel if anyone treated her the way you just treated me?”

“I mean, it’s not even a big deal. As usual, you’re overreacting, but like, hey if it makes you uncomfortable, it’s probably because it’s true,” Gale replied.

Katniss took a step back feeling as though he might as well have slapped her.

“Wrong again. Katniss has been nothing if not the most patient woman with the kind of group she’d had to deal with lately,” Peeta interjected.

Gale lifted an eyebrow. “Right, and who the hell are you anyway?”

Peeta sighed and crossed his arms, “I’m Peeta Mellark. I used to go to high school with Katniss, and I was her next door neighbor.”

Gale looked thoughtful for a few seconds until his eyes suddenly widened. “Wait, you’re that creepo who use to stare at Katniss all the time?”

Katniss looked at Peeta whose jaw muscles tightened as he nodded.

“Yeah, listen here, weirdo, you don’t get to tell me what I can and cannot say to my wife,” Gale threatened.

“Ex-wife,” Katniss spat out.

Gale rolled his eyes, “Whatever. The point is you were mine and that’s enough.”

“Gale, you don’t own me. You never did and you don’t get to tell me who I am,” Katniss said.

Peeta sighed, his lips pursing and his eyebrows set in a permanent frown. “Maybe, instead of proclaiming ownership, you should respect the woman who gave you a kid.”

Gale shifted his weight onto his other leg. “Yeah sure, whatever,” he shifted his attention to the petite woman before him, “ Katniss, I just wanted to let you know that I can’t take Willow tomorrow. I have a meeting and Glimmer wants to go out.”

“So, your meetings and Glimmer are more important to you than your six-year-old kid?” Katniss asked.

“Oh, don’t get sanctimonious with me. I got shit to do. I’ll take her next week,” Gale sucked his teeth looking thoroughly annoyed.

“That’s what you said last week,” Katniss reminded him. “But fine, it’s not like you were ever reliable anyway.”

Gale turned without so much as another glance and walked to his car.

Peeta, who’d been observing the whole scene, walked Katniss to her car and took his son out of it to go to his. They bid a quick and awkward goodbye before driving off.

That night, after tucking Willow in and reassuring her that daddy was just playing, Katniss sat in front of her computer. Upon not being able to write, she began to cry. At first, they were stressful tears. Tears reminding her that she had so much on her plate and none of the help. Until finally they turned into tears of sadness upon accepting that marrying Gale was the worst mistake she’d ever made.

Hot anger and anguish ran down her cheeks as each clear dollop landed on her hands. She was angry that things had turned out for the worst and was now quickly unfurling into an even bigger mess. Stupid or not, Katniss decided that at least Willow was the only good thing she had ever been good at and so, after an hour of shaking with the effort of having to hold in all her hurt and pretending that everything was dandy, Katniss finally cleaned her face and blew her nose. She sat back on the computer feeling suddenly unblocked.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back my lovely readers. 
> 
> Back with your weekly chapter of this, (which I hope) is a much-anticipated story. As always I would like to thank several people. @titaniasfics and @javistg for being such amazing betas. To @sunsetsrmydream for her beautiful banner. @mega-aulover @jobanana7 and my husband for your incessant support and love. This is an ongoing X-mas gift for @peetaismybae . 
> 
> Please don’t forget to read and review. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. The rest comes from the amazing Suzanne Collins who is a queen!
> 
> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/ADW.png.html)   
>  [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/dino_1.gif.html)

Setting the plate of syrup-laden pancakes, Katniss resolved that she was done feeling miserable for a man who’d never appreciated her. Therefore, that Saturday morning when a groggy Willow walked out of her room, bunny in hand and rubbing her eyes, Katniss gave her a glowing smile.

“Hi squeaks! I made some pancakes today and look I even put chocolate chips on them.” Katniss showcased the plate.

Yawning, Willow looked at her mother as though she were nuts. “Why?”

“No reason, just thought we could have some fun today,” she answered placing her weight on the kitchen counter and digging into her own plate of pancakes.

“But I thought I was going to Daddy’s house today,” Willow said.

Katniss’ face fell for a second and she gave her mystified daughter a sympathetic grin. “Daddy has a huge project at work that he has to finish. Today he has a meeting with his project buddies.”

“Momma, you don’t have to lie to me,” Willow added.

Katniss widened her eyes. “I’m not lying!”

“Okay, maybe you’re not, but I can tell daddy doesn’t like me. He only pretends to and I know Glimmer definitely doesn’t like me,” Willow commented as she sat next to her mom and dug into her plate.

Katniss frowned, “What makes you say that baby?”

“She’s never around and when she is she leaves quickly or pretty much tries to ignore me.” Willow shrugged.

Katniss sighed. “Well, it can be a bit tough to find a connection with someone at times.”

“Maybe,” Willow muttered.

Katniss grinned, “And baby, daddy does love you. It’s just, he displays it in a different way than I do.”

Willow shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter. I have you.”

A lump landed on Katniss throat as the doorbell rang. Willow Ran to answer it.

“Hey Princess!” Johanna exclaimed. She opened her arms for Willow to crush into her and lifted the child, smiling as she twirled once in place. “Kiss,” she demanded. Willow complied with slobbery one on her cheek. “Oh that felt so nice. I felt it right down to my bones,” she said closing the door with her foot. She put Willow down and took off her coat placing it on the coat hanger as she kicked off her boots. Johanna looked over at Katniss. “Hey Dorko!”

“Hi.” muffled Katniss with a mouthful of pancake. She offered a plate to her friend who readily agreed.

“Mom, can I get the iPad?” Willow asked

Katniss shook her head. “Absolutely not. Just because it’s a weekend doesn’t mean you’re gonna be on that thing all day. You can, however, put your dish in the sink and go play with your toys in the room.”

“Okay,” Willow slumped her shoulders.

Once her daughter was out of view, Johanna turned to Katniss. “So how have you been, anything new?”

“I had to throw a stupid Halloween party for the kids at school,” Katniss said. Johanna, who’d only been half listening, perked up at the mention of Peeta but deflated once Katniss went on a full discourse of the shitty day’s events. It wasn’t until she got to the part where Gale called her a bitch that Johanna ruffled up like a rooster.

“That motherfucker!” Johanna yelled.

Katniss frowned and looked towards Willow’s room. “Jo, language.”

“That son of a dick,” Johanna said, an octave lower.

“No,” Katniss groaned placing her face in her propped hand.

“You better have put him in his place, Kat or I’m going to his house and ruin his day like he did yours,” Johanna threatened.

Deciding to tell her friend everything, Katniss continued with the story, with Johanna whooping triumphantly when she got to the part where Peeta stood by her.

“I have got to meet this guy. Can you schedule a lunch for the kids or something?” Johanna suggested.

Katniss shook her head. “Hell no, I am not going to ask to go to lunch after the humiliation I went through in front of him. I’m not even sure if I can look him in the face after what happened.”

“Kat, it’s not that big of a deal. It’s not like you started it, and Gale only proved that he was as much of a jackass as he comes across. But I guess it would be weird asking him out on a lunch date when he’s married. I don't think his wife would like it very much,” Johanna surmised.

“Actually, he’s a widower,” Katniss commented.

At that Johanna perked up with her wide saucer-like eyes and squealed conspiratorially. She rubbed her hands together like a cartoon villain and cackled. “Oh this is just too good.”

“No, Jo, nothing is too good,” Katniss began as her friend ran to Willow’s room to give her a kiss and put on her coat and boots. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going over to Prim’s to tell her all about this,” Johanna said matter of factly.

Katniss raised her cellphone. “You could just call, you know?”

“Yeah, I know, but I don’t need your common sense interrupting all the juicy ideas we’re gonna be coming up with,” Johanna said wrapping her scarf around her neck.

“Jo, what ideas?” Katniss asked not trusting her friend’s machinations.

“BYE!” called Johanna with Katniss repeating her question as the door slammed closed.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why, oh why am I always late?! 
> 
> I’m sorry my lovely readers :( I do try to post on time but I’ve been crazy busy lately. I just got a new job and I’m currently fighting a shitty cold and severe iron deficiency. Anyway, Here’s chapter 9 of the story you guys have been looking forward to (I hope). I would like to thank my wonderful betas @javistg and @titaniasfics . To my precious lovies @mega-aulover @jobanana7 and my sweet wonderful husband who’s been killing it in college. And finally to @sunsetsrmydream for her beautiful banner! I hope you guys like this chapter since we’re pretty close to the end now and I’m sorry for making you wait. As usual, this is an ongoing Christmas gift for @peetaisbae. Without further ado here’s CHPT 9 and don't forget to read and review ;)....  
> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/ADW.png.html)  
> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/dino_2.gif.html)

Days passed, after the disastrous Halloween party, Katniss was now back at the school, notepad in hand and pencil propped on her ear. Finch decided that going around the school and asking for teachers’ opinions was just an ‘absolutely brilliant’ idea. She wanted feedback, or rather whatever little praise she could wheedle out of the school staff, but she hadn’t thought she’d be interrupting classes and so, here they were, roaming about the school halls like lost sheep as they tried to navigate through the halls, hoping to find a teacher with an empty classroom. 

The only bright spot about the ridiculous ordeal was that Peeta hadn’t been able to make it and so Katniss could at least breath easy in that respect. He hadn’t tried to text her, and she wondered if he thought her an absolute idiot for choosing to marry Gale. She couldn’t say she blamed him but still, she missed his presence. 

It wasn’t until the group was turned away by another annoyed teacher whose break had been so rudely interrupted, that they stood outside a class as another grade passed by them noisily on their way to the lunchroom. 

“Look, Rye, it’s my mom!” Katniss heard Willow yell as she ran to hug her. Katniss smiled down at her daughter and waved at Rye who was timidly standing to the side. 

“Sweetie, go back in line. I’ll see you at home,” Katniss said while she backed away. Willow nodded and filed back into her class. 

Before they left for the day, Finch had decided that throwing a Christmas party was the right idea for the month of December. Katniss tried to deter her ideas reminding her of the last party, but Finch simply brushed her off. “Nonsense, we must have a party to raise money for the school. But this time things will be different. I thought maybe we could have the parents perform.” 

“Perform what?” Katniss asked cautiously. 

Finch shrugged, “I don’t know yet, but I’m sure I’ll come up with something. Why don’t you bring Gale along to plan with us?”

“I’m sorry, what, how do you know Gale?” Katniss was shocked. She thought Gale hadn’t even given the whole ordeal enough time till he started whining much less taking the time to talk to other people. 

Finch smiled and tinkled her laughter about as she all but playfully laid her hand on her shoulder, mystifying Katniss even further. “Oh, he was ever so helpful last time.” 

“When?” Katniss asked wondering if it was his obvious disregard for anyone, especially the children who had been wreaking havoc, or perhaps it was when his nose was scrunched up in distaste throughout the whole event. 

“He was such a beacon of relaxation for me when everything was, unfortunately, falling apart. You must’ve seen how gallant and sweet he was while I was dreading everything that was happening around us. We just had the grandest conversation last time. He’s very charming Katniss. I do so wonder why you two didn’t last ” Finch stared at her as though her wondering wasn’t much of a wondering at all but rather an uneducated assumption that she wasn’t good enough for Gale. Of course, Finch never said such words but Katniss knew they weren’t needed. 

Katniss sighed. Perhaps if Finch hadn’t been in such a hurry to plan her daughter’s birthday everything wouldn’t have gone wrong, but she didn’t say that instead, she said, “I thought the planning would be between us members. We haven’t yet taken to adding anyone else.”

“Well, there is such a thing as parent volunteers, silly,” Finch added tapping her shoulder as though Katniss were an empty-headed bimbo.

How she wished Finch would cease to treat her like an unruly child. “We haven’t even agreed to contact parent volunteers yet and I’m sure it’s a decision we all have to make.” 

“We could bend the rules just a smidgen.” Finch tentatively suggested. 

“I don’t think so, Finch. Besides, I’m not quite sure if he’s free.” Katniss added.

Madge who’d been quiet throughout the whole echanche suddenly piped up with a suggestion about the next meeting’s agenda; parent volunteers. 

‘Fuck my life’ Katniss though. She wanted nothing to do with Gale and his external persona to paint her in what she already knew was an unflattering light. 

“Now about the Christmas party…” Finch continued walking towards yet another busy classroom.

Lord save her from the woman’s imagination. She prayed it wouldn’t be too embarrassing and so she left. Texting Peeta about Finch’s new ideas on her way to the car, Katniss heard her phone ring a few seconds later.

“Please tell me you’re joking,” Peeta said on the other side of the line. 

Katniss laughed. “I wish. Anyway, maybe you should come up with something quick before she comes out with another ridiculous idea.” 

“Like what?” Peeta desperately asked.

“I don’t know,” Katniss shrugged walking towards the little rental she’d been relying on for several weeks. 

Peeta paused for a few seconds. “I’m at home right now. I would tell you to come over, but I have a wicked cold.” 

“I don’t mind coming over. I deal with colds all the time if you must know I have a very good immune system,” Katniss said. 

“Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Peeta cautioned giving her his address and Katniss drove for five minutes till she got to his house. 

A red-nosed, disheveled Peeta opened his door and stepped aside, allowing Katniss entrance while he blew his nose and apologized for the state he was in. 

Looking around she set her bag aside as she sat on his sofa and smiled when she saw that he had a blanket draped on his shoulder. He padded into the room in sweatpants and a red sweater. His hair stood up at odd ends as he offered her a cup of coffee. He looked so cute yet pitiful that Katniss offered to make some tea for the both of them instead. 

She looked about in the cupboards as Peeta told her where everything was from the kitchen chair. Two steaming mugs of tea sat on the coffee table while Peeta lay on the sofa and Katniss sat across him on the floor, her legs tucked comfortably underneath. 

Looking around the room she noticed pictures of Peeta holding his newborn son. A smile threatening to tear his face in two. Shifting her eyes she saw a young blond standing next to him in a full wedding dress in another picture. 

She was beautiful, with her old Hollywood features, eyes shining happily like precious stones. Peeta reached for the picture and handed it to her. “That’s Delly.” 

“She was beautiful,” Katniss murmured. 

Peeta nodded. “Yeah, she was. We were very young when we got married and it took some time before she got pregnant with Rye.” 

“What happened to her?” Katniss asked shifting her glance from the photo to Peeta who sat across her. 

“Cancer. We didn’t know she had it until she found out she was pregnant,” Peeta answered as Katniss gasped. “She refused to abort the baby and so the cancer only grew faster. Once Rye was born she was on her last days.” 

Katniss glance back at the gorgeous woman. “I’m sorry.” 

“Yeah, me too. I regret not having been the husband she deserved from the beginning. I wasn’t around as much as I should’ve been, but that’s my burden to carry. I only have the pictures here so that Rye can feel that he knows his mother, even if it’s just a little,” Peeta added. 

“That’s very kind of you,” Katniss said propping the picture frame on the table. 

Peeta shrugged. “She wasn’t the love of my life, but after she gave her life to give me the most precious gift she could ever have bestowed on me I think she deserves to have her memory preserved.” 

Katniss nodded. “I agree.” 

“That’s kind of the reason why I said what I said to Gale,” Peeta added after some time. 

At the mention of her ex-husband, Katniss froze. “I don’t want to talk about that.”

“What happened between you two?” Peeta asked and perhaps it was because he sounded so inviting or maybe because he looked so harmless and nonjudgemental that Katniss sighed and ended up telling him everything. 

“I was naive and stupid. I thought he could love me forever, but I was wrong. He decided that a younger model was more important than me and so exchanged me for her. I should’ve known better really. My mother approved of the match while my sister did not, and it’s not always good when my mother approves of anything. Prim always said that he was marrying for the sake of obtaining the picture perfect family,” she sighed slumping her shoulders.. 

“He left you for another woman?” Peeta asked looking rather shocked. 

Katniss nodded. “Yup. He said he just didn’t find me attractive anymore. That I’d become boring. Then again, I was too busy changing diapers and holding a job to go out every night. I knew how childish he could be, but it was as if I refused to accept it. I tried everything to fix my marriage, but he refused to comply. When I asked him to go to a marriage counselor he simply said that I was the crazy one, not him.” 

“Well, in that case, he’s an idiot and he doesn’t deserve you,” Peeta said.

“Yeah, it’s been two years, one broken down car, and I almost lost my job last week because he’s got it in his mind that I’m the one who has to volunteer in this stupid PTA. I had to switch my schedule from a full time to a part time. He’s due to give me the child support for our daughter, but I haven’t really heard from him otherwise,” Katniss explained. 

Peeta sat up. “So, wait a minute, you’re the one twisting yourself like a pretzel in order to please him and he’s the one berating you for not doing good enough?” 

Again Katniss nodded. “I’m stupid ain’t I?”

“No, he’s an ungrateful prick,” Peeta finalized. 

“I know, but if I don’t do what he says, he’ll just disappear out of our lives and I’m not sure if Willow can take not having a father. I can’t do that to her when I know what that’s like,” Katniss added. 

“Katniss, you only feel like that because your mom didn’t take care of you. But you’re not like that. You’re different, and I’m sure Willow sees it,” Peeta said boring his deep eyes into her soul. 

“How do you know what my mother was like?” Katniss asked frowning. 

Peeta raised his eyebrows. “How didn’t I? I basically heard everything your uncle yelled at her for right before you guys decided to move. Plus, I could tell you and Prim were losing weight.” 

“Oh god, that’s embarrassing,” Katniss groaned. 

“No, it’s not. It’s part of life, and life is messy, but it can also be wonderful. You just have to remember that Willow may not have great memories with her father, but she’ll always have great memories with you,” Peeta encouraged. 

Katniss swallowed the lump that obstructed her throat and hid her discomfort with a sip of tea. “Well, it doesn’t seem like he’s trying very much with her anyway. She told me that she thought her dad didn’t like her.” 

Peeta cringed, “ouch,” he said.

“I know,” Katniss murmured after some time and took a sip of the tea before speaking again,  
“How about we change the subject and focus on coming up with something to derail Finch’s crazy ideas instead?” 

The rest of the visit Peeta and Katniss kept throwing plausible scenarios and turning them into a game of all the ridiculous things that Finch would come up with. Every now and then, Peeta would try to put his voice in a falsetto to mimic Finch making Katniss laugh. It didn’t last very long, though, because then he would always start coughing and blowing his nose while cursing his fortune.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my lovely readers! I’m ever so late but this time I have a good excuse, I promise. I was in the hospital for a couple of days due to some nasty virus that I thought was affecting my heart condition but thankfully it was nothing to worry about. I have the most supportive people surrounding me and I’m feeling much better now. 
> 
> So as always I would like to thank my husband, @mega-aulover , and @jobanana7 for being so supportive. To my dad for being so involved these days and to @sunsetsrmydreams for her beautiful banner. To @titaniasfics and @javistg for being such good betas. And finally to every single person who has left a review. You guys are amazing and I promise to continue writing. We’re about several chapters till we reach the end so you have been so amazing and patient with all my craziness. I can’t promise each chapter will be on time but I can promise quality chapters. Please don't forget to read and review :D
> 
> Without further ado here’s chapter 10...
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> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/youtube.gif.html)  
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Time passed unabashedly fast, and the more Katniss spoke with Finch, the more dread settled within her as the time for her stupid Christmas party neared. Thankfully, Peeta had made it his life’s mission to dissuade Finch little by little while making her believe that every idea that he brought up was entirely her own. 

So the festivities were well into the planning phase and, slowly, it transformed from parents wearing ridiculous costumes and singing, to the kids doing a small performance in the auditorium followed closely by a two-hour dance party in the gym. However, things were far different once Katniss and Peeta made the big decisions. 

It was a windy Saturday afternoon when Willow, who’d been excited about getting picked up by Gale, sighed as she looked at the clock and asked her mother the time. 

Gale was late by three hours and her sister and Johanna were due to come at any minute. 

Katniss grabbed her cell phone for the hundredth time that afternoon only to hear Gale’s voicemail. She slammed the phone on the counter and looked at her daughter sitting on the couch, backpack settled next to her. Willow looked so sad that all Katniss could do was try not sit next to her and cry. 

Suddenly, the doorbell rang and Willow perked up. However, when she saw that it was her aunts she slumped back onto the couch. 

“Hey, Princess, what happened?” Johanna asked. 

Willow sulked, “Daddy forgot about me.”

Before Johanna could go into a discourse of how much of a shithead Gale was Prim gave her a warning look that silenced her. 

“It doesn’t matter. How about instead of sulking we have a dance party?” suggested Prim taking off her coat and flinging it on the sofa only to quickly retrieve it after a swift sorry directed at Katniss who huffed with annoyance. 

Willow looked at her aunt. “Really?” 

“Sure. Why don’t you get comfortable and leave your bookbag in the room and we can start?” added Johanna. 

Once Willow happily skipped into her room Katniss turned to her sister and best friend. “I’m going to kill him.” 

“Katniss, there’s nothing you can do right now except try to lift your daughter’s spirits.” Prim tried to calm her down. 

Johanna, on the other hand, crossed her arms. “But can we all still agree that Gale’s a royal prick?” 

Katniss nodded with Prim shrugging. “Well, what else is new?” 

Before long, the TV was turned on and Youtube was blasting ‘It’s Raining Men’ by the Weather Girls from the speakers. 

Katniss danced with such abandon that she hadn’t realized the bell had rung. But, when the cold air drafted through her living room waking her from her mental performance she turned to see a very amused Peeta standing at the door holding a laughing Rye’s hand. 

Quickly reached for the remote, Katniss paused the video amidst protests from her daughter and Prim. She could feel the heat of sheer mortification on her face. She wished the ground would swallow her whole when Peeta stepped into the house and took off his and Rye’s coat. 

Johanna pointed at Peeta from behind and gave Katniss two thumbs up. 

Wanting to die, Katniss groaned as she covered her red face with her hands. She could feel the heat of embarrassment coming off in waves if that were possible. Peeta, on the other hand, reached for his phone and typed in Nsync. Before she knew what he was up to, he was lip syncing and mimicking the moves of the boy band. Katniss stared at him in awe as the girls whooped about happily. Once the song was over, Peeta sat down on the couch blushing but laughing at the same time.

“What?” Katniss asked dumbly. 

“I’m sorry, but Rye insisted on coming over and, since you didn’t answer your phone, I thought to try anyway,” Peeta sheepishly shrugged. 

Johanna sat next to him and extended her hand. “Johanna Mason, certified best friend to Katniss.” 

“Jo, stop,” Katniss moaned. 

Johanna looked taken aback. “Am I not your best friend?” 

“Yes, you are, but don’t start the interrogation, I know you,” Katniss pleaded. 

“I would never!” gasped Johanna. 

Rye, who had been sitting next to his father, extended his own small hand and introduced himself, “My name’s Rye and he’s my dad, Peeta.” 

“Nice to meet you, Rye. I’m Johanna, but you may call me Jo,” Johanna sweetly replied shaking the boy’s hand. 

Prim waved her hand at Rye and nodded a welcome to Peeta. 

“MOooom, can we please continue the dance party?” Willow whined.

Prim smiled and cupped her niece’s head in her hands. “Would you like to see what your mom and I used to do when we were kids?”

“Ooh me too. I know the steps,” Johanna piped in. Katniss looked at her friend. “Prim taught me a while back.” 

Prim meanwhile was searching for the right music video when suddenly ‘Saturday Night Fever” blasted through the speakers. The girls positioned themselves next to each other at Willow’s insistence, and Peeta pulled the coffee table more towards him, smiling from ear to ear and clapping while Katniss, Prim, and Johanna all recreated the steps that were once taken by her own family back when her father had been alive. 

The rest of the afternoon was filled with songs from the Backstreet Boys, Black Eyed Peas, Britney Spears, Madonna, along with some Pat Benatar and Some Bruce Springfield. The funk that once shrouded the apartment was gone as Willow danced with a smile brightening her pretty face.

After about two hours of more dancing and a large order of pizza and wings, Prim pulled Johanna by the arm and quickly said a goodbye before disappearing. 

Willow looked at over at Rye. “Wanna see my room? I have a TV, maybe mom will let us see a movie.” She looked at Katniss hopefully. 

Katniss smiled. “Go pick one out and remember, guests get the preference.” 

Willow jumped and pulled Rye to her room to show him her DVD collection. 

Katniss laughed and looked over at Peeta. She remembered her earlier shenanigans and began to blush anew. “I can’t believe you saw me dancing like a fool.” 

“You’re a good dancer,” Peeta commented, leaning forward to carefully place the cup on the coaster that lay on the coffee table. “Although, I remember you being more of a singer.”

“How did you know I could sing?” Katniss asked. 

“You were in the school chorus for three years running. You had a solo once, and I can’t remember what the song was, but all I knew was that you were amazing,” Peeta replied boring his eyes into her own. 

Blushing, Katniss gave him a quick thank you. 

“Maybe I should tell Finch to make you sing at the school function,” Peeta teased. 

Katniss pointed at him, eyes wide. “Don’t you dare. You have no idea the amount of stage fright I went through in high school. I thought I would throw up right then and there during every performance.” 

Peeta raised his hand and chuckled as he assured that he was only joking. 

Katniss deflated and looked down at her pajama bottoms and striped shirt. “I look a mess.” She self consciously reached up to her messy updo and tried to redo it. 

Peeta sighed. “Well, you did see me with a cold and in sweatpants. Not to mention my blanket over my shoulders like a weirdo.”

Katniss smiled at the memory. “True. But I still can’t believe Johanna made you sit next to her and then bombarded you with questions.” 

“I like her. She’s fun, and they aren’t questions I haven’t been asked before.” 

“Are you sure about that, because I don’t think random strangers go up to you to ask your shoe size,” Katniss added. 

Peeta chuckled. “True, but by that point, she wasn’t a stranger. I mean, come on, I saw all three of you dance like The Dream Girls.” 

Katniss laughed while Willow ran towards her screaming that they had finally chosen the perfect movie. 

Rounding the corner from Willow’s room and the resounding sounds of Moana Katniss sat towards one end of the couch, a leg nestle under her and hand propped on the arm rest. “How’s work, by the way.”

Peeta groaned and threw his head back, “Don’t ask.” 

“Why, is it that bad,” Katniss asked feeling herself bubble with laughter.

Peeta sighed, “It’s soul crushing,” when Katniss looked pointedly at him to continue he turned to face her directly, “As you know I come from a family of bakers,” 

Katniss nodded leaning her head to rest on the palm of her hand. 

“Well, having to receive pre-made frozen dough to put in the oven is like committing a cardinal sin. I'm not used to having to deal with such subpar conditions, but I still have to do it if I want to own my cafe at some point, right?” he asked looking unsure. 

Feeling sympathetic Katniss leaned over to pat the hand that had been resting on the back cushion. Again, she felt that same shock she had experienced at the grocery store when she saw him for the first time. Stupid leather couch. “That sucks, and I’m sorry. If it helps, my job is pretty soul crushing as well.” 

“How so?” Peeta asked. 

Taking a deep breath she ticked off every reason, “ Well, my boss is a control freak with major mood issues, I write fluff pieces for a stupid paper that only SOME people read, I can’t get anything done without having to revise all of it at least ten times, not to mention that I have yet to make a dent in my book and because of the job I have I can’t even think of any ideas. It’s like I’m blocked,” she didn’t even know why she was telling him all of this. She’d only seen him again for barely a few months and yet she’d never felt more comfortable in anyone’s presence, save her sister. 

“You write?” Peeta looked riveted with the new information. 

Katniss nodded, “Yup, but lately, I haven’t written a word.” 

“What do you write?” He moved closer and as much as Katniss loved her personal space she didn’t budge an inch or even try to change positions. 

She blushed, “Mainly drama and suspense.”

Peeta raised his eyebrows, “ Wow, that’s pretty incredible, I didn’t know you could write.”

“Yeah, I started when daddy died. I found it was pretty lethargic when it came to letting my feelings out. I’m not even particularly sure I’m any good. Prim and Jo say that I am but I think they’re biased.” she blinked slowly as the light from the lamp hit the back of his head as though it were a halo. 

Frowning Peeta sighed, “Well, have you ever shown your writing to anyone but Jo and Prim?”

Katniss shook her head.  
“Then how do you know you’re not any good?” Peeta asked. 

Katniss sighed, “I guess I don’t. Not really, but I’m not sure how I’d feel if someone else reads my work. It’s not like I went to school to study writing.” 

“ A lot of writers are untrained and they still managed to be successful. Your doubts are getting in the way of you fulfilling your passion, and hey, if you truly want a real opinion, I’ll read your story. I promise to be as unbiased as possible.” Peeta offered. 

Katniss looked towards Willow’s room hoping to be interrupted by the children, “I don’t know Peeta.” 

“I’m only offering and you can choose to either give me part of the manuscript some other time or you don’t have to at all, pressure.” He was being genuine, Katniss could see it in his eyes. 

Shrugging she walked to the kitchen and offered him a mug of hot cocoa that he readily accepted.

Thankful that he hadn’t pursued the matter any further Katniss went to the children’s room to offer the same. After the two hour movie and some well-deserved pie, Katniss closed the door as Peeta walked towards his car. Looking back at her unused laptop she opened it and reread her story feeling more open to the possibility that perhaps, she was being too hard on herself.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m BAAAAACK! This is chapter is actually on time and I’m so happy. 
> 
> First I want to thank every single one of you who were kind enough to leave a get well sentiment to me. I do feel much better and now here I am posting a chapter actually on time. I would like to thank my amazing husband who is always so supportive. To @mega-aulover and @jobanana7 for being such amazing cheerleaders. To my wonderful betas @titaniasfics and @javistg with whom this story would've never come to fruition. To @susnsetsrmydreams for her beautiful banner and finally to @peetaisbae for whom this story is written for. As always, please don't forget to read and review :D
> 
> I hope you all like this chapter!
> 
>  
> 
> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/ADW.png.html)  
>    
> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/tumblr_inline_p5lqk7YpJG1reprxj_540.gif.html)  
> 

Gale called Katniss the very next morning. He was as always, full of flimsy excuses to justify his absence. 

Katniss sighed wearily, “I can’t believe you’re calling. Willow waited for you for three hours.” 

“Pass the phone to Willow,” Gale insisted for the second time that morning. 

“Why, so you can lie to her like you always lie to me? And don’t even think I haven’t caught on,” she felt her mouth purse distastefully. 

Gale began to lose his patience as he growled on the other end. “Just give her the phone, for fuck’s sake.” 

Katniss groaned and called Willow who ran towards her. Passing the phone to her child who answered cautiously, Katniss tried not to listen as Willow quickly nodded at whatever barrage of falsehoods Gale told her. 

“Okay, Daddy, it’s fine, I’ll see you next week,” Willow quickly said as she passed the phone over to Katniss who argued for another couple minutes about his lack of presence in their daughter’s life. 

Slamming the phone on the counter, Katniss went to wash the dishes in hopes of feeling calmer once she was done. Alas, after drying her hands with a hand towel she found that she was even angrier than when she started. Looking at her newly washed dishes she tisked distastefully and threw herself on the sofa to drown her thoughts on reality television. 

Weeks passed and the Christmas Party was finally upon them. Both Katniss and Peeta arrived about two hours earlier to make sure that everything was running smoothly. 

The children’s presentation of Christmas songs in the auditorium went without a hitch and, for once, Katniss felt immense relief. 

Once the audience had walked over to the gym, everything was in order, with Katniss serving punch and Peeta taking pictures with his camera. The small photobooth served to remind the parents there was still more money to spend. 

Peeta took picture after picture for a good hour or so, all the while directing the guests as to their best angles. Every time he finished one group he would quickly jot down something as Katniss passed cup after cup of punch, a smile plastered on her face. Normally the smile would’ve been a Herculean effort on her part, however, she found that tonight it wasn’t so. Having Peeta look back at her made her smiles come that much easier, if not effortless. She was never one to blush, but it had been the third time that Peeta had glanced back giving her a playful wink when she felt her face heat up. 

Katniss shook her head to rid herself of the heat and giggled as she concentrated her efforts on her and Peeta’s children. Scanning the room she noticed Willow and Rye were busy playing with the balloons in the room and looking at the decorations of hanging homemade snowflakes. After everyone was settled with enough punch and cookies to make them burst, Katniss finally joined Peeta over at the photo booth. 

“Wanna commemorate our success? Or was it Finch’s success?” he asked eyebrow raised and smirk sneaking its way onto his lips. 

Katniss licked her lips and laughed nervously, but shrugged as she turned her back against the decorated background with Peeta standing next to her. A smile on his face as he turned the camera to face them and pressed the button. Bright spots distorted her vision while Peeta looked back at the digital picture and smiled, satisfied with the result. 

Madge ran over to them, eyes wide and with a bit of a slur. “Oh my god guys, thank you so much for taking over. I don’t know why I volunteered for the stupid PTA. Guess I was just too bored by myself at home. I gotta find a different hobby,” she muttered walking away. Katniss looked back at Peeta who pointed at a flask hidden under Finch’s arms and snorted. Peeta shook his head while trying to cover his hearty laugh with unsuccessful bouts coughing.

Katniss bit her lip, “Stop laughing,” she muttered as she shoved Peeta playfully with her shoulder.

Finch was currently walking around the room introducing herself to the parents and declaring that everything was her idea. From the decorations to the choice of music blaring out of the large speakers. 

Katniss sighed rolling her eyes as she nudged Peeta in Finch’s direction. The woman even had the audacity to fill the crowd with her annoying bell-like laughter as she took all the credit for herself. 

Peeta shrugged digging his hands into his pant’s pockets, “Let her have it. It must be really important for her to have the spotlight. Who knows what she’s like outside these doors.” 

“Probably still a pain in the ass,” muttered Katniss. She shifted her weight onto her other hip and blinked slowly, “but I guess you have a point. At least we know what we did and we don’t really need the credit.” 

Peeta nodded once and turned back to survey the room. Katniss began to tap her foot to the tune feeling more relaxed than she had in several years when Peeta put his hand out to ask her for a dance. Katniss looked at him, hesitating but at the look of nervous earnest she placed her hand in his and let him guide her to the dancefloor just as ‘A Different Way’ by DJ Snake started playing. 

“I’m not really sure how you’re supposed to dance to this song, but whatever,” Peeta said shrugging. 

Katniss smiled. “To be honest, neither do I.” 

“We could probably just change the song,” Peeta suggested. 

“Let the song finish first. I hated it when the radio people would cut the song midway through. It’s a pet peeve of mine,” Katniss said. 

“Got it,” Peeta whispered. Katniss could smell his cologne as she drew closer to him. She wasn’t sure if it was the heat in the room or the fact that she was trembling as they danced in pleasant silence for what seemed like seconds but she took in a shuddering breath before he looked at her and smiled, “by the way, you look beautiful tonight.” 

Katniss’ eyes widened as she felt her face grow warm for the fourth time that evening as she all but whispered a small ‘thank you’. 

Raising his eyebrows Peeta tightened his grip on her waist and searched her face for any sign of having pleased her. On the other hand, Katniss did everything to avoid his vivid blue eyes. It unsettled her and she didn’t know if it would’ve been appropriate for her to kiss him in a room full of strangers. She didn’t know if it was appropriate to kiss him at all, no matter how much she wanted to. 

With the song over, Peeta sighed and let her hand gently drop to her side as he walked over to his old iPod and sifted through the songs. He put the jack back into it and adjusted the volume in the old stereo he’d borrowed from Madge. Meanwhile, a pleasant buzz of conversation rang throughout the Gym. Katniss found her daughter and Rye both of whom were standing far too suspiciously in a dark corner. Frowning she walked towards them, “What are you two doing?” 

“Nothing,” the children quickly yelled in unison as they stood startled. 

Katniss frowned and looked dubiously from the small brunette to the wide-eyed little Peeta that stood next to her own daughter. Willow nudged Rye on the ribs and he looked at her an annoyed glance marring his features. It startled Katniss to see how much Rye looked like his father. Especially when he was annoyed or angry. It was as if someone had cloned the man. Not that she was complaining, Peeta was extremely handsome and she knew Rye would be no different. 

Suddenly, Daft Punk blasted through the speakers. Katniss looked back as Willow, threw herself squealing happily onto Katniss who after having realized Willow was in her arms picked her daughter up to twirled her around. Setting Willow down Katniss took Rye’s arms and danced with him. Or rather she grabbed his hands and swung them listlessly from side to side as he stood ramrod straight looking at her as though she were crazy. 

Peeta danced his way towards them as the throng of people joined in on the fun. He pulled Willow who’d been dancing on her own and twirled her about like a princess. Rye, upon his father’s insistence, shrugged and began to finally move. His awkward little limbs moving about with abandon. 

The last group of people left with smiles on their faces and cheerful wishes, Katniss sighed when Finch and Madge volunteered to clean up. Peeta gathered his old iPod and camera as he walked out with Katniss, Willow, and Rye. 

“Katniss!” She heard Gale call. She turned to look at him as he walked towards them with a mystified look on his face and dressed for a party. 

“What are you doing here?” Katniss asked. 

Willow piped up, “I called him before we left the house, momma.” 

Katniss sighed. “Five hours ago, and you show up just now? What the hell did you think this was, a club? That it was gonna last all night?” 

“Well, if Willow hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have found out,” Gale protested. 

Katniss shook her head and grabbed Willow’s hand, fully preparing to leave him to swallow his words. “Gale not now. Don’t start.” 

“Hey man, you can talk about this later. There are kids here,” Peeta added. 

“Mind your own business, baker boy,” Gale spat. 

Katniss frowned. “Gale, we’re tired and I want to go home.” 

“Did you really think you could play the happy little family with that idiot instead of me?” Gale threw out. He switched his glare from Katniss to Peeta. “Let me remind you that she’s my wife.” 

“Your ex-wife, you unbelievable jerk,” Katniss corrected. 

“Whatever. It was me who left you. Maybe if you hadn’t been such a drag in my life I would still be married to you,” Gale added. 

Katniss scoffed, nose flaring, “Oh, I was the drag? Let me remind you that it was you who didn’t want to take responsibility of being a husband and father. It was always me who had to ‘drag’ you to do your duty.” 

“Well it’s not like you did anything to help the situation, I mean, come on, you weren’t even able to give me a son,” Gale said pointing to Willow who looked as though her life shattered in that very second. 

Peeta passed the camera he’d been taking pictures with to Katniss and shoved his iPod into his jacket pocket telling Rye to hold onto her. He stalked over to Gale, who was taller than him, and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. “Alright, we’re done here. You need to get the hell out.” He dragged a livid Gale who threatened to kick his ass. Peeta chuckled darkly. “You can try all you want, bud, but trust me, you won’t get very far.” 

Katniss looked down at Willow crouching down to hug her crying child as Rye walked over to them and joined in. 

“It’s ok, Willow. Look, even I don’t have a mom,” Rye said wiping Willow’s tears with his hands. 

Katniss’ heart broke in two when she realized that Rye was right. Gale had never really been a father. Not ever. When Willow was a baby, he barely made any effort to do anything for her, despite Katniss being depressed and tired. She had to always either yell at him or beg him to do something, anything, and even then, he couldn’t do it without complaining. Now it was no better, as he slowly became more and more absent from their lives no matter how hard she tried and came to the conclusion that she didn’t act the single mother. She was a single mother. 

Katniss gulped attempting to keep her tears at bay. 

“Are you okay?” Asked Peeta once he came back. 

Katniss nodded. 

“Let me take you to my house,” Peeta offered. 

Katniss shook her head. “You don’t need to do that, Peeta.” 

“Come on, I was able to kick him out of here, but I’m not entirely convinced I could do the same at your house without being arrested. Plus I’m not exactly sure I would feel comfortable letting you drive under these conditions,” Peeta offered. 

“And what, stay over? We don’t have the proper clothes,” Katniss said. 

Peeta extended his hand out. “You can both borrow our stuff. Rye even has a sleeping bag and we have extra toothbrushes.” 

“Momma, please. I don’t want to see Daddy,” Willow wailed while Rye hugged her and nodded his head. 

Katniss closed her eyes nodding, taking his hand as she stood to walk next to him and Rye who refused to let Willow’s hand go.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well let’s just all accept that I’m gonna be late posting my chapters for like ever...
> 
> Hello, my lovely readers! I’m back with chapter 12 and I know I’m late as always but I was doing some logistical work because we’re nearing the end and I wanted the ending to be perfect! I would like to thank @javistg and @titaniasfics for not just editing, but going back and rearranging everything with me. It was hard but oh so rewarding. To @mega-aulover , @jobanana7 , and my amazing husband for listening to me drone on and on about this story. It didn’t exactly make for titillating conversation but you guys are fucking AWESOME! To @sunsetsrmydreams for her beautiful banner and to everyone who has left such kind comments on the previous chapters. It’s made all this hard work worth it. As always this is an ongoing gift for @peetaisbae . Don’t forget to read, review, and enjoy!  
> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/kiddos_3.gif.html)  
>   
> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/ADW.png.html)  
> 

Peeta offered her a large shirt while Rye gave Willow one of his pajamas. It was agreed that they were allowed to go to Peeta’s room to watch a movie on Netflix and Peeta made sure to make the room as comfortable as possible for the pair of six-year-olds. Finally, Peeta returned to find Katniss quietly looking at his pictures.

She turned to look at him. “I remember this game. I was there. You got first place,” she told him, showing the framed picture of a wrestling match.

“Yeah, this house is full of memories. We cherish them around here,” Peeta said grinning.

Katniss sighed. “It’s the opposite at our house. We mostly try to forget the kind of wreck it can be sometimes. Willow is the only good thing I ever did. She’s my greatest triumph.” She gulped not wanting to touch the subject of Gale but felt she had to either way. “I’m sorry you had to see that again, with Gale, I mean. I can’t believe he said those things.”

“Yeah, I know, but I’m not new to such pain. I wasn’t exactly my mother’s favorite. Sometimes I wonder how my parents lasted so long,” Peeta said sitting on the couch.

Katniss nodded. “Thank you, by the way. For what you did.”

“It’s fine. I’m sure he’ll be feeling the pain he inflicted on Willow on his face tomorrow,” Peeta replied.

“You punched him?” Katniss asked eyes widening.

Peeta nodded. “I don’t normally resort to violence, but he was asking for it.”

“He’d been asking for it for years,” Katniss added shaking her head, all the while lamenting her mistake of ever having set eyes on Gale. However, she decided that she’d lamented for too long and resolved to move on from her own self-pity. Instead, she chose to distract herself by looking around the room since she hadn’t done it the last time she was there. She looked above him at a painting of a gorgeous lake. “Wow,” she whispered.

Peeta leaned back and looked up. “Oh, that’s Rye’s favorite painting. He says it’s the best one I’ve made so far.”

“You paint?” Katniss shifted her gaze back to him astounded.

Nodding, Peeta blushed. “ I do photography from time to time when I don’t feel inspired to paint.”

Raising her eyebrows, Katniss looked back at the picture. “It’s beautiful. I didn’t know you had such talent.”

“I was the one who used to decorate the cakes back at my parent’s bakery,” Peeta muttered.

Katniss gasped and looked at him, “That was you? Prim used to love those cakes. She would literally beg me to take her to the bakery every to look at them.”

Peeta chuckled. “Well, I’m glad that I at least had one fan.”

“And a loyal one at that,” Katniss said turning back to the few paintings strewn about the room as she wondered if anything else was a product of his work.

She walked around the room, inspecting the other pictures as a comfortable silence settled between them. A few minutes later, Peeta coughed and she turned her eyes away from the painting of a mother cradling her newborn to look back at him, “Wanna see the rest?” he asked looking nervous as he leaned forward.

“Oh, there’s more? Of course, I want to see it,” Katniss said. 

He stood from the couch and popped his head into the bedroom to let Rye know that they were in the basement, and came back to guide her to his painting room.

They walked down the steps with Peeta holding her hand so that she wouldn’t fall, but when he turned on the light, Katniss looked around, mesmerized. There were landscape paintings and portraits of people. She even saw a small easel propped up with the painting of a simple house and a smiling sun that looked to be Rye’s handiwork. She smiled at that, but then noticed one painting that was covered in the far corner of the room. She walked over to it and raised the cloth, gasping when she saw herself staring back.

It was her, but not, at the same time. Before her was the picture of a woman with her usual side braid and the most serene, yet proud, expression she could only wish she felt.

“I painted this a couple of weeks ago. But if you don’t like it or feel weird about it, I can always get rid of it,” Peeta said quickly rubbing the back of his neck.

“Is this how you see me?” Katniss stared at herself with awe.

Peeta nodded. “Yeah, I always did.”

“Always?” Katniss asked turning to look at him.

Peeta blushed crimson. “There was a reason I was always looking at you, and why Delly could never be the love of my life.”

“Why?” whispered Katniss.

Peeta frowned and cleared his throat. “Because someone already took that spot.”

Katniss licked her lips and looked at him. He looked so unsure of himself that she almost didn’t recognize the man before her. She wondered if he’d always been the same nervous boy he’d been in high school.

She turned to look back at her portrait, and let out a breath. 

“You don’t have to do anything about my feelings. These are mine to deal with, okay?” Peeta said his body slumping defeatedly.

Katniss turned to face him instead and, wordlessly stepped into his arms, she ran her hand down the side if his cheek tenderly. She could hear Peeta take in a deep, shaky breath as he leaned into her touch.

Her eyes fluttering closed, she leaned in for a tentative kiss.

When she backed away, Peeta smiled. He took her face in his hands, and hungrily took her lips.

Flames of desire spread through her like wildfire, traveling all the way down to her apex between her thighs. Shakily, she wrapped her arms around his neck and moaned when he sought entrance as he ran his tongue along the seam of her lips.

Gasping, she opened up for him.

Instantly, her knees buckled with the intensity of the moment. She could smell him, an aroma so distinctly Peeta that it made her heady with need. Dill, and fresh bread.

His tongue explored fervently as he gently coaxed her into flames of desire that only seemed to intensify with each passing second. He was intent on tasting every inch of her, and she was sure she would’ve fallen had it not been for Peeta wrapping his arm around her tighter.

Katniss hugged him to her as he lifted her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around his hips while he backed her up against a wall. The feel of the hard surface made both of them grunt in an almost animalistic way.

They were there for god knew how long. All she knew was that she yearned for a promise unfulfilled. She wanted more. No, she needed more. 

Backing up, Peeta took in gulps of air as he searched her face for any sign of rejection, his chest rising and falling rapidly in the pale light. Katniss was still in his grasp and in mid air when he said, “Wow.”

Katniss nodded taking in deep gulps of breath. Her body tingled with anticipation. “Yeah, wow.”

She loved to see his swollen lips and mussed hair because she knew it had been her doing.

Reaching for the bottom of his shirt, she rolled it up. Peeta let her down and raised his arms while she swiftly removed the offending garb and threw it on the floor. She desperately reached to remove her own while Peeta quickly removed his bottoms with Katniss rushing to get rid of hers.

She looked down at him and smirked.

Peeta’s nervousness was replaced by lust. His eyes were no longer the color of a morning sky but rather, they resembled angry sea waves during a storm. He was the epitome of perfection, oozing virility and raw hunger. It both thrilled and frightened her. 

Katniss shook, unable to recall if Gale had ever looked so magnificent. She couldn’t even reconcile her thoughts of ever deserving such a beautiful man. Her mind being a busy zone of unpleasant thoughts most times chose to shut itself down, instead focusing on the tingles that flowed throughout her body like soundwaves. She itched to be closer, to feel his skin against hers.

Her eyes fell to his cock, which lunged from his hips, seeking her, and she was responsible for that too. She wondered if doing the deed wouldn’t be painful or uncomfortable as she was used to Gale and knew he’d never been that impressive. Not to mention it had been quite some time since she’d been with a man.

Taking a shaky breath, she looked at Peeta’s dark midnight eyes. He approached her swiftly with two steps, lifted her up once more, making her feel as though she weighed nothing more than a feather, and backed her up against the wall again. A carnal groan escaped his lips when Katniss moaned.

He looked down at her breasts as though they were the most delectable things he’d ever witnessed and pumped into her for the first time with such ferocity that Katniss gasped.

Beads of sweat began to cover his forehead dampening his hair. Quickly, he looked down at her. “Are you ok?” 

Katniss nodded. “Yeah, just please, don’t stop.”

Peeta smirked and withdrew in an agonizingly slow manner that frustrated her so much she grunted and responded by closing the space and riding him with fervor.

“Oh fuck!” he groaned as his hands tightened their grip on her thighs. He gulped and pumped into her with the desperation of a drowning man.

Katniss bit her lip in an effort to suppress the moans that inevitably escaped her. With one hand she held onto his shoulder as she placed her other on the beam of the unfinished wall.

“God, you’re so beautiful,” he whispered, unwrapping one arm from under her to remove her bra straps and push the cups down.

His hand caressed her breast in such a delicate manner that Katniss wondered if she was dreaming the whole thing up. His hands felt like heaven, but when he brushed his teeth across her nipple she was utterly convinced her this was real.

She relished every second as she gasped, her nipples hardening between his fingers. Katniss gulped when Peeta ran his tongue across the crook of her neck, making her shiver as he nipped playfully at her neck.

Their breath mingled about as she looked straight into his eyes and pulled herself up closer to him. His eyes were a mixture of raw lusting hunger and something vulnerable that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

Leaving her breast, Peeta slipped his hand between them and toyed with her clit, making Katniss lean into him to muffle her guttural moans. Her fingernails ran a path of ecstasy down his back.

Every little slap of skin against heated skin served to drive her closer to the edge as he pumped in and out.

Katniss leaned back enough to look at him, their breaths intertwining in passionate little spurts. She felt elated and wicked all at the same time.

Wanting to please him as much as he did her, she reached for his neck and licked it causing him to fuck her even harder if that were possible.

Ah, so that’s also his weak point, she smirked, and continued to do it, knowing that it elicited the exact reaction she’d wanted to see. She’d never known anyone could ever make her feel as sexy as she felt at that very moment.

Peeta’s hand moved from her clit to supporting her bottom as she all but bounced on him intent on riding him as furiously as he did her until she felt her every nerve tighten like an overextended rubber band.

Her toes curled and she closed her eyes, throwing her head back with yet another suppressed moan as she felt herself cum for the first time in forever.

Grunting with frustration, Peeta pumped into her one last time and pulled out before making the mistake of spilling inside her.

He eased her down gently, but not before kissing her soundly.

Katniss wrapped her arms around him and sighed, looking back as Peeta looked at her as though looking for something, but upon not finding what he’d been searching for he leaned his forehead against hers and unwrapped his arms from under her. His left hand settled on the small of her back and his other caressed her face, tenderly saying everything and nothing at the same time.

Standing before him, Katniss smiled. Feeling complete for the first time in her life, she closed her eyes and hugged him. She lowered her nose into the crook of his neck to breathe in his scent, a scent so quintessentially him that Katniss wondered if she was ever going to find a day where she’d have enough of him. She highly doubted it, though.

Drops of sweat ran down his body making him look even hotter than she thought possible as he withdrew from her in search of his clothes.

Peeta rushed to retrieve a rag and passed it to her. “I usually use this for my paintings but it’s clean, I promise.”

Katniss nodded as she received the rag and cleaned herself off, all the while looking at Peeta as he put on his underwear and pants looking rather annoyed at himself.

“Is everything okay?” Katniss asked, hoping he didn’t regret what had happened.

Peeta sighed. “Yeah. It's just been awhile since I’ve had any sex at all.”

Katniss frowned. “How long has it been?”

“About four years. Maybe more,” Peeta replied lamely.

“You haven’t had sex in four years?” Katniss was incredulous. How could a man who so clearly knew what he was doing be so hard on himself? More to the point, how had no one else dared to nab him sooner?

“I tried a couple of times, but it just didn’t feel right after Delly died, and so I just decided that it wasn’t important to pursue it any further. Besides, things could get messy if you met the wrong person,” Peeta explained.

Katniss scoffed, “Boy do I know what you mean.” She paused for a moment and moved towards him. “Well, judging by what just happened, I’d say you’re pretty good either way. No one has ever gotten me to cum so quickly or so strongly, to be honest.”

Peeta frowned looking incredulous. “What, are you serious?”

Katniss nodded, “Yup,” she wanted to tell him more but she didn’t want to ruin the moment by mentioning Gale. So, when he raised his eyebrows at her silently asking if she wanted to say anything else she shook her head and shrugged, “ It’s nothing important,”

“Are you sure,” Peeta asked.

Katniss shrugged. “Yeah, let’s not talk about anything right now.”

Accepting her request, Peeta nodded and slung his shirt over his shoulder.

She looked at his beautiful face and back down at his naked torso. She’d been right when she thought him to be massive during the first PTA meeting. His thick legs and strong back were evidence that he had once been a wrestler.

She smiled. Walking towards her own clothes, she put her panties back on followed by his shirt --which covered her well down to her thighs, almost reaching her knees.

Peeta took the used rag from her and threw it in a bin. She walked over to him, reaching for his hand to lace with hers.

She grinned as she leaned over to give him a kiss, her eyes closing. She could feel his lips forever tattooed in her memory. “I love the painting.”

Peeta nodded and closed the gap between them, choosing to tenderly grab her by the back of her neck, and leaned his forehead to hers while his other hand rested on her hip. “I’ve always cared about you. I’m sorry I never told you.”

“It’s okay. Out of whatever mistakes I’ve made, at least Willow was the only real good decision, and meeting you again was not exactly planned, but I’m glad it happened,” Katniss replied.

“We should probably check on the kids,” Peeta whispered with a soft grin plastered on his face.

When they checked in the room they came across both kids completely asleep in Peeta’s bed. Instead of putting them back in Rye’s room, Peeta walked gingerly towards the children and tucked them in.

Backing out, he quietly closed the door and looked at Katniss. “Well, it’s probably best if I go take a shower. Wanna join me?” he asked with a wink.

Katniss looked at the door, wondering if the kids had woken up. Instead, Rye and Willow’s sleep flushed faces peeked from under the covers settling her doubts. She shrugged and turned to look at Peeta. “Sure.”

He grabbed her hand and took a towel out the linen closet before locking the bathroom door and taking his clothes off for the second time that night.

“You have a nice body,” Katniss commented.

He turned to look at her his eyebrow lifting. “So do you. You’re absolutely gorgeous.”

Katniss snorted. “Yeah right, I have an amazing body after giving birth, with my saggy stomach filled with stretch marks. Not to mention my saggy boobs that once fed a baby.”

“You have a gorgeous body,” Peeta urged fervently. “And those stretch marks are a sign that you gave life. No one can say otherwise. You’re strong and beautiful. I’ve always liked you for everything you were, not for the body you used to have and, for the record, that was the best sex I’ve ever had.”

She blushed but smiled. “Me too.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovelies, 
> 
> I’m here with another late ass chapter of this crazy story. It’s been a busy week for me but I’m trying. LOL
> 
> First, I would like to thank @titaniasfics and @javistg for her incredible beta work. (You ladies are awesome!) To @mega-aulover @jobanana7 and my sexy Hubby for being such amazing cheerleaders and finally to @sunsetsrmydreams for her beautiful banner. 
> 
> To my loyal readers and those who have left such incredibly sweet comments, I just wanted you all to know how incredibly honored I feel and you guys are the very reason I keep writing despite all my doubts and second thinking. Without you, I wouldn’t even be in the position I’m in. So Thank you guys, thank you for your continuous love and support. Know, that I appreciate everything from the bottom of my overly anxious heart! 
> 
> As always, don't forget to read and review and now, on to the story... 
> 
>  
> 
> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/ADW.png.html)  
> 
> 
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> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/CT.gif.html)  
> 

Katniss awoke to Peeta’s arm slung across her hip. They’d decided to cuddle on the sofa and ended up falling asleep. After an unsuccessful attempt to move, she instead resorted to using her free hand to shake him awake. “Peeta wake up.”

“No, not yet,” he moaned, wrapping his arm around her tighter and breathing in the scent of her hair.

“Peeta, I don’t want the kids to see us like this. We have to get up before they do,” she insisted patting him on the arm.

Blearily, Peeta raised himself from his sleep and rubbed his eyes. “Fine, I’m up.”

“Toothbrushes?” she asked covering her mouth.

Peeta pointed to a general area, “It’s in the closet with the towels.”

Katniss nodded and went to freshen up. She widened her eyes when raccoon-like prints looked back at her and groaned. this was exactly why she hated makeup so much. Turning on the faucet she tried to wipe as much of the mascara as she could. Once she was satisfied with the results she got to brushing her teeth. Hoping Peeta hadn’t noticed the disheveled mess she’d woken up as she walked out of the bathroom and said, “Should I make breakfast?”

“That would be great!” Peeta said brightening up while he folded the comforter.

The kids woke up midway through Katniss making scrambled eggs and bacon.

“So, what is it with Johanna and your sister? Are they lovers or roommates,” Peeta asked with a bite of his eggs.

Katniss choked. “Oh god, no, they’re just roommates. They’re both highly hetero.”

“What’s hetero daddy?” asked Rye, big eyes looking his way.

“It means a man and a woman like each other,” Peeta answered looking at Katniss.

“Oh, so it’s not like aunty Rue, right mommy? She likes a girl,” Willow added.

“That’s right, baby, she’s a lesbian. You get two aunties. Aunty Rue, and Tia Clove,” Katniss replied smiling. She looked over at Peeta. “Rue’s my old college roommate.”

Peeta nodded understanding. Once everyone had their tummies filled, Katniss hung out until Willow begged to go home because she missed her own clothes.

Putting on her coat, she smiled at Peeta and squeezed his hand while Willow gave Rye a quick hug goodbye before walking out of the house.

A couple of weeks passed. Katniss had never felt hornier than when around Peeta Mellark. It was as though she were a teenager all over again. She would often go over to his house while the kids were at school. Sometimes as early as dropping Willow off. Sometimes he would let her in and had what Katniss considered to be the hottest sex she’d ever experienced, and other times work took a priority leaving Katniss to settle her discomfort on her own which frustrated her to no end. Her hand could only do so much as Peeta was more than attentive and knew exactly which buttons to push.

Her work, thank God, never suffered. But when Johanna Skyped her in the middle of her little sessions Katniss grunted with frustration at not being able to finish, cursing herself for not bothering to close the stupid laptop.

“What the hell are you doing, and why are you so sweaty?” Johanna asked rummaging into a chip bag.

“I was busy if you must know,” Katniss answered hoping to avoid any more questions.

Johanna looked unconvinced as she chewed. “Doing what?”

“None of your business,” Katniss clipped.

“Ask her if she was flicking the bean,” yelled Prim off camera.

Katniss gasped and turned crimson.

“Oh my god, you were, weren’t you?” Johanna squealed.

Katniss shook her head. “No, I wasn’t.”

“Liar. I can always tell when you’re lying,” Johanna accused. She turned to call Prim who rushed by. “Your sister was flicking her bean.”

Katniss covered her face. “Oh my god, I hate you both.”

“You were?” asked Prim looking both surprised and a little grossed out.

Katniss swallowed and closed her eyes as she nodded. She could hear both girls squealing gleefully and felt herself blush even more.

“What brought on this new course of events?” asked Prim settling on a chair next to Johanna. Both women looking attentive waiting for an answer.

Katniss sighed knowing there would be no way she could keep her secret from them. They’d eventually wear her down. “I slept with Peeta.” Mortification set in as both her sister and best friend gasped and Johanna yelled a ‘fuck yes’. Katniss could picture them pumping their hands triumphantly.

Rolling her eyes she groaned, “Okay, you can stop now.”

“Hell to the no,” yelled Johanna enthusiastically. “You have so much more to explain. When did this happen and, more to the point, was he good? I betcha he was good.”

“ I really hate you,” Katniss groaned.

Johanna stuck her tongue out. “No, you don’t. You love us.”

Prim made a disgusted face. “Ew, I don’t want to know about my sister’s sex life.”

“Well then, cover your dainty ears. Wouldn’t want to affect your delicate sensibilities,” Johanna advised.

Prim stuck her tongue out.

“Why me?” Katniss whispered knowing her best friend was right.

Johanna gave off a cartoonish cackle, “Why not? You’re super hot and you can be nice when you want to be.”

Katniss gave them the middle finger as she did everything to avoid their gaze. “I’m awesome, okay? And for the record, yes he’s amazing. Come to think of it, I don’t think Gale was ever half as good as Peeta. I think this is the best sex I’ve ever had.”

“Probably the ONLY good sex you’ve ever had. It doesn’t look like Gale would ever be good at any of it,” Johanna tuned in.

Katniss snorted. “How would you know that?”

Prim rolled her eyes. “Puh-lease. He’s so into himself that I suspect he’s selfish. Bet you he was more worried about his pleasure than yours.”

“Not to mention that I think he has a small dick that curves to the left and he has problems with cumming as fast as the flash runs,” Johanna chimed in.

Katniss laughed nervously. “How did you know?”

“She was right?” asked Prim scrunching up her face. “Ew.”

“What can I say, I’m a talented woman,” Johanna looked so proud of herself. 

Clearing her throat Katniss continued, “Actually, I’ve been sleeping with him for a couple of weeks now.”

Both Johanna and Prim’s eyes looked like saucers as they gasped and covered their mouths to muffle their squealing. Katniss was beginning to suspect Prim and Johanna were part dolphin, what with the frequency they emitted through the computer. It was both thrilling and annoying at the same time.

“You’re fucking that hot piece of ass and didn’t tell us right away? Oh, now I’m mad,” Johanna murmured and glared once she regained her bearings.

“Yup,” Katniss answered.

Prim looked impressed. “Not bad.”

Rolling her eyes, Katniss told them the whole story of Gale and his insensitive words. Both ladies reacted appropriately, with Johanna promising to crush his nutsack between her hands and Prim, who wasn’t one to use curse words, finally calling him a fuckface.

When she got to the part where Peeta showed her his painting and she discovered her portrait they sighed romantically.

“Don’t be such a stingy hoe and share more details already,” Johanna pouted bouncing on her chair like a spoiled five-year-old. 

“What else is there to say, though,” Katniss asked shrugging.

Prim laughed shaking her head. “You could tell us if you guys are dating. Do I get to call him my big brother now?”

“That’s the problem, we haven’t exactly established anything, and he hasn’t taken off his wedding band. I’m afraid I’m falling for a guy who feels he has to keep the memory of his wife alive as some sort of punishment to whatever he feels he’s guilty of,” Katniss said. She hesitated for a second taking a wavering breath. “I’m scared,” she whispered

“Katniss, there’s nothing to be scared of. He’s loved you forever, and I’m pretty sure he’s feeling just as insecure as you. I mean, you have to deal with Lame Gale,” Prim said looking to Johanna for assertion.

Katniss pursed her lips, “But what if he decides that having a relationship could ruin his son?”

“That won’t happen. Rye would’ve already rejected you and he hasn’t,” Johanna put in choosing to resume her chip munching.

Katniss groaned running her hand across her face. “What am I gonna do?”

“Katniss, do you love him, or even like him enough to know that you can love him?” Prim asked.

Katniss thought for a minute. “I’m not sure if what I feel for him is gratitude for helping me so much or love. Maybe it’s a combination of both, or I don’t really know.”

“Well, I suggest you figure that shit out first,” Johanna said with Prim nodding vigorously.

Katniss huffed. “Well, I guess fuck me, huh?”

Johanna wiggled her eyebrows. “More like keep fucking him! He’s delicious looking, you lucky bitch.”

Katniss snorted. “Shut up.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m BAAAck ya’ll! It’s been a crazy crazy couple of weeks and I’m sorry I’m so late but between a sick kiddo and a raging back problem, I’m finally back. Now, I know I’m always late but I do come through.
> 
> Anyway, I would like to thank @titaniasfics and @javistg for being the greatest betas on the planet. To my biggest cheerleaders @mega-aulover @jobanana7 and my hubby. To the wonderful @sunsetsrmydreams for her beautiful banner. Last but certainly not least to all you wonderful readers who have gone on to leave comments and likes on my little story. You guys are freaking awesome and I am forever humbled to think that you find my drivel interesting.
> 
> As always please, don’t forget to read, review! :D
> 
> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/ADW.png.html)
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> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/mans.gif.html)

December passed, and now here she was, in the middle of a frosty February morning sitting at another boring meeting with the PTA. She groaned as Finch was coming up with yet another ridiculous function for the month of March.

“Is there a problem Katniss?” asked Finch.

“Yeah, can we just please make these parties easier? I’m getting so tired of having to use all my energy for every whim that comes to your head,” Katniss said.

“Excuse me?” Finch said looking offended.

Peeta, who’d been passive up till then, looked at her nervously as the tension in the room rose. 

“I just feel like you’re using the excuse of the PTA for you to show off and become a greeter, and not to mention, taking all the credit for things that other people do,” Katniss continued pushing her shoulders back determined to say what had been eating at her for months.

Finch reeled back as though she’d been slapped. “I don’t do that!”

“Yes, you do. For Halloween you basically threw your kid a birthday party,” Katniss said asserting her position.

The room fell silent with everyone staring at Finch and Katniss.

“It just happened to be her birthday, so I thought it would be best to kill two birds with one stone,” Finch defended herself and looked around for anyone to back up her argument.

“You shouldn’t have done that, because the budget we have is for the school, not for your kid’s birthday,” Katniss added. “Also, what was it with you at the Christmas party? You walked in there and took all the credit for things that Peeta and I did,” Katniss motioned for Peeta who simply took her hand in his and squeezed it as some form of warning that she ignored entirely.

Finch blinked several times before running her hand down her jacket and sitting down quietly. “I feel like you’re going to be a detriment to our team, and I really don’t want it to become poisonous so, maybe it’s best if you leave for good. I’m sure we can replace you.”

“Fine, I would LOVE to get the hell out of here,” Katniss growled, wrenching her hand from Peeta’s to pick her bag up and sling it on her shoulder before grabbing her coat and hastily putting it on.

Finch, who looked visibly annoyed, crossed her arms. “Now I know how you lost such a great guy like Gale.”

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” Katniss asked midway to wrapping her scarf around her neck.

“You heard me,” Finch replied with a raise of her perfectly drawn eyebrow.

Katniss closed her eyes and counted to five. However, once her eyes opened she could still feel the sparks radiating from her eyes. “How dare you? You’re absolutely no one to say anything about my life, much less my divorce. You know absolutely nothing, and I suggest you keep your venomous tongue to yourself lest you wish I rip it out for you, got it?”

Finch’s saucer-like eyes followed her out the door. She was left frozen on her seat, gaping like a fish.

Peeta ran hastily behind her and stopped her in the parking lot. “Hey, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Peeta,” Katniss answered, shoving his hand and concerns away. She stalked to her car hoping he would leave her alone.

Unfortunately for her, luck was not on her side when Peeta jogged behind her calling for her to wait. Katniss closed her eyes and sighed as she rummaged in her bag for her car keys. Pulling them out, she placed the key into the keyhole and had the car door open part of the way when Peeta’s hand swiftly shut the driver’s door.

Katniss gasped, “Peeta let me go.”

“No,” Peeta said his eyebrows set in a decisive frown. “We need to talk and I’m not letting you go until we do.”

Katniss shook her head and was about to retort when she noticed his sweater was now flapping in the unforgiving winter wind. Deciding to veer her focus away from worrying about his general health she pinched the bridge of her nose. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Bullshit.” Peeta clipped.

Eyes wide Katniss surveyed him. “Fine, you wanna know what’s wrong with me?”

Peeta nodded.

Glaring she looked over at the hand that kept her from entering her car. His stupid ring glinted against the morning light needling her. Reminding her that as long as Peeta wore it he would never be hers, not really. Grasping his hand she brought it up to their faces. “This is what’s bothering me.”

Peeta blinked several times before understanding what she meant. “Katniss, this is nothing.”

“You call your wedding ring, which you’ve been wearing years after your wife has been dead, nothing? Peeta, how do you think this makes me feel?” Katniss groaned hating the plea that quivered out of her voice. “You know what, it doesn’t even matter because we’re not even in a relationship, so I guess there’s no reason for me to feel so bothered, but I can’t help it.”

Peeta sighed looking down at his hand while his other was clutched into a fist. “I thought we were in a relationship.”

Katniss hated the hurt that came out of Peeta’s words but she needed to ignore them. “What relationship Peeta, we never established anything.”

“I didn’t think we needed to. I mean, we have sleeping together for weeks.” Peeta said looking up at her earnestly.

Katniss nodded. “Exactly, sleeping together. It’s not like I’ve met your friends or been introduced as your girlfriend. I know it sounds childish, but after all the mess I had to deal with Gale, it’s the least I can demand of myself when it comes to anything remotely romantic. I have a daughter for god’s sake. I wouldn’t want her to be in a position of such ambiguity with anyone else. It’s not fair to either of us.”

“You want to meet my friends?” Peeta asked.

Katniss nodded and shrugged.

Taking her hand in his Peeta pulled her towards the school. “Let me see if I can call Finnick. I’m sure he has some time off.”

“Peeta, stop. This isn’t the right time or place.” Katniss replied tugging her hand out of his grasp.

Looking back Peeta paused his steps. “I thought you said you wanted to meet my friends.”

“Not like this because that’s not the main point. I-,” Katniss paused looking for the right words to say as Peeta stared at her with his arms crossed. “-I don’t want to have to fight for your affections.”

“What’re you talking about, you’re the only woman I want. Hell, I threw my celibacy out the window when I met you.” Peeta argued.

Katniss frowned, “Peeta, you and I both know that sex is not exactly equal to a relationship. We just happen to understand each other very well on that particular level. The point is, I shouldn’t have to fight with a ghost to get you to love me.”

“Katniss..” Peeta began walking towards her as he looked down at his hand.

Taking a step back Katniss put her hand up. “Let me finish, That ring is still on your finger which to me, it says that your still punishing yourself for whatever you feel is or was you're doing that lead to Delly’s death.”

Hurt registered through his eyes and Katniss almost stopped but she knew she had to say everything or there would be room for misunderstandings. Steeling herself she took in a deep breath. “Peeta, I can’t punish myself with you. It’s not fair to either of us and if I allow you to continue this whole, whatever it is that your doing, it will poison whatever we can have and I’m not ready nor willing to let myself be hurt. Not again. I’ve worked too hard and for too long to let myself be broken. I do realize that you have been a huge part of some changes in my life, and I will always be thankful for that but I have more important things to worry about, Willow especially. I can’t let my daughter see me so depressed.”

Licking her lips she soldiered on. “I don’t know why you feel the need to keep the ring on and I’m not telling you to get rid of it because that’s not my call but you have to be honest with yourself and know that until you do keep it on we can’t have anything between us. It wouldn’t be healthy, especially for Willow and Rye.”

Peeta frowned and looked at her. Nodding he gulped, “I understand. I’m sorry.” he turned to walk back to the school.

Katniss wanted so bad to call him back as several thoughts assaulted her needing answers but instead, she braced herself and walked back to her car.

Once home, she expelled a deep sigh lamenting her attempts at pushing Peeta Mellark away. She told him what she needed to say and she hoped that what she’d said to him wouldn’t be their end but who was she kidding, she might as well accept the fact that he would never want to see her again. However, she decided that this was the best course of action to keep her daughter from getting hurt by yet another guy if he chose not to stick around. Yes, it was all for Willow and she knew no sacrifice was too small for her daughter. So why, on earth did it feel more personal than it should have?


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my Lovelies, 
> 
> I’m here again with another anticipated chapter of this very crazy story. Now I will warn you all and say this particular is quite a doozy but I hope you all like it! As always I would like to thank @jobanana7 @jobanana7 and my husband for being such amazing cheerleaders. To @titaniasfics and @javistg for their amazing beta work. To @sunsetrmydreams for her beautiful banner and finally to all you amazing readers who leave such incredibly kind and insightful comments. You guys make my heart soar. Don’t forget to read and review.
> 
> Now here is a new chapter... 
> 
> Trigger Warning: Graphic depiction of violence and harsh language. 
> 
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> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/ADW.png.html)  
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> To those who have already read the story, please know that I'm so sorry if I had inadvertently caused any discomfort. I promise, it was not done on purpose but I will take steps to make sure that it doesn't happen again and will post trigger warnings in future chapters.

The doorbell rang. Katniss groaned as she all but sluggishly stood up from her couch figuring that it would be Peeta on the other side of the door all the while hoping it wouldn’t be him so she didn’t have to explain herself even further.

“Peeta now is not a good ti-,” she paused when she saw that it was Gale instead who was standing before her. He grinned sheepishly and said a small ‘hi’. Katniss slumped, “What’re you doing here?”

Gale extended his hand out with a small check in hand. “It’s for the child support.”

Sighing Katniss nodded and took the small check. “Thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a-,” she was intending to close the door when Gale Placed his hand on it to stop her. She blinked and looked at him expectantly.

“Don’t you want to see if everything’s in order?” he asked.

“Gale, I don’t have time for this. I’m sure everything is fine and if it isn’t I’ll call you,” Katniss replied.

Refusing to let the door close, Gale looked at her sheepishly. “Actually, I think I forgot to sign it.”

Katniss frowned and looked down at the check in her hand. Indeed, his signature wasn’t there. Upon further inspection, she noticed the amount was wrong too. “Gale, what’re you playing at?”

“What do you mean?” he asked looking confused.

“First, you forget to sign the check, and now I see that the amount is wrong. You said you would give me more if I lowered my hours in exchange to be a part of the stupid PTA.” Katniss shoved the check in his hand.

Gale’s eyes widened and looked at the check closely. “I’m sorry, Katniss, I didn’t realize.”

Reeling back from the shock, Katniss blinked several times. “What did you say?”

“I said, sorry. Why?” Gale asked.

“You’ve never apologized for anything before,” Katniss murmured.

Looking chagrined, Gale shrugged, “ I guess I haven’t been the greatest dad or husband.”

Katniss frowned and looked at him suspiciously. However, she thought that whatever they had to speak about was best done inside the house where no one else would be privy to a very personal discussion. She backed up, letting a path for him to enter. “You could just fix the check now. There’s a pen on the kitchen counter.”

Gale sighed. “Actually, it’s best if I write you down a new check, but I’d have to go back home because I left my checkbook on the coffee table.”

“Okay, well I’ll just wait for it and you can pop by later. Maybe Willow can see you before she goes to bed,” Katniss said as she began to close the door.

Gale shoved his hands down his jean pockets and looked back, “Uh, actually I was wondering if you could give me a lift. My car got repossessed by the company and well…”

“What happened, how’d you even get here?” Katniss asked craning her neck expecting to see Glimmer’s precious, gold Volkswagen.

“I took an Uber,” Gale said looking sheepish.

Katniss nodded. “Oh,” looking behind her noting that it was still a few hours till Willow got out of school, she reached for her purse, keys, and coat putting it on. “Alright, come on.” 

Gale gifted her with a hopeful smile as he thanked her.

XXXX

The drive to Gale’s house felt bizarre and uncomfortable to Katniss, but she was not about to tell him that when he unsuccessfully tried to start a conversation. She had merely given him a tight smile and one-word answers to whatever questions he had asked. However, when she walked into his house, she couldn’t keep her questions from becoming audible.

“So, is everything alright?” Katniss asked taking off her coat and choosing to sling it on her arms.

Glimmer’s copious pictures where no longer strewn around every nook and cranny of the living room. Her shrine was gone, and it was something that Katniss found to be shocking. It wasn’t that she felt elated to have the woman’s presence diminished, but rather that she felt nothing. There was no contempt or any feeling of relief when it came to Gale’s attention towards the blond bimbo.

It was certainly startling for her to realize that Gale’s matters were no longer any of her concerns. The feeling of satisfaction stemmed from the fact that her daughter would no longer have to deal with the odious woman.

Gale nodded. “Yeah, why do you ask,” he asked reaching for his checkbook and looking around for a pen.

“Glimmer’s pictures aren’t here,” Katniss said.

Upon having found a pen, Gale set to writing a new check. “She left.”

“What?” Katniss asked raising her eyebrows.

“I lost my job and... Well, I guess she couldn’t take the fact that I couldn’t afford her usual whims and left me for another man,” Gale answered ripping the new check out of the checkbook and passing it out to her.

Katniss was never one to hold grudges, and Gale was her daughter's father. Her concern was due to his well being --considering that it could affect Willow in some way or other-- when she said, “Are you okay?”

“Well, I’m not great, if that’s what you’re asking, but I guess you were right. I would come to regret my decisions sooner or later, and that time has come,” Gale replied crossing his arms. He looked so tired and Katniss wondered if he had been sleeping at all. The bags under his eyes told a different story upon closer inspection. Truthfully, she noted he looked a mess. His hair was not combed neatly back as it had usually been. The wrinkles on his shirt and pants, although not openly apparent was very much there and he looked like he hadn’t bathed at all.

“I was such an idiot. I should’ve realized she would do this someday. Glimmer was only happy when I could provide her with whatever she needed.” he groaned running his hand through his hair messing it up even further.

“It’s alright, I’m sure you’ll find someone worth your time,” Katniss said awkwardly patting his forearm for reassurance. Looking around to see if she could at least hand him a glass of water she noticed a half-empty bottle of vodka and a single glass next to it sitting on his kitchen counter.

Looking down at her hand Gale said, “Do you think you could ever forgive me for the things I’ve done and said?”

Sighing Katniss turned back to him dropping her hand from his arm. “You said some awful things to me, but I think you have to apologize to Willow first.” She hadn’t smelled any alcohol on him. Actually, she hadn’t even taken notice nor even cared what he’d been up to but if this was how he was going to behave then Katniss knew better than to bring Willow around him.

Gale moaned, “I know, I was an idiot and I promise I’ll speak with her and apologize, but I was wondering if we could mend our relationship for our daughter’s sake.”

“I don’t see why we can’t co-parent peacefully,” Katniss began as she put her coat back on feeling a wave of hope that perhaps things would be alright in the end so long as he paid heed to her renewed conditions. Yes, this time there were conditions. Starting with any sort of drinking and they were non-negotiable 

Shaking his head, Gale reached for her hand and drew her closer placing her palm on his chest.

“No, Katniss, what I mean is if we could someday become a couple again.That is, if you can ever find it in your heart to forgive me.” Gale gave her a hopeful glance.

Frowning, Katniss pulled her hand away. “I don’t think so, Gale.”

“Why not? It would be the best for Willow to see her parents together,” Gale said trying to reason with her.

Katniss sighed and began to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. “Oh, you’re definitely not going there.”

“I’m serious, Kat!” Gale moved to reach for her hand again.

Katniss stepped back making him pause his movements. “First of all, don’t call me Kat. You and I are nothing, and I hope you’re not using our daughter as an excuse to have me come back to you.” She blew out a deep breath and threw her head back laughing. She bit her lips as her nose flared angrily. Looking straight at Gale she said, “You know what would be great? Not having to go back to the same thing we were already dealing with. I don’t want to hate you, Gale, I really don’t. But, right now, you’re making it really hard for me not to.”

“What do you mean? I really meant what I’m saying. Look, I know I haven’t been a good person,” Gale continued.

“You’ve been nothing but a horrible excuse for a father and husband,” Katniss cut in.

Gale raised his hand up. “Alright, I deserve that, but things will be different this time. I promise.” 

“Different, how? More to the point, for how long?” Katniss asked stepping forward.

“Look, I’ll even go to the stupid counselor,” Gale offered.

“That’s exactly why I won’t try anything with you anymore. There’s no point because, to you, everything I do is stupid. You know what, it doesn’t even matter because for once I’m glad that I don’t care what you think of me or what I do. I used to hope once for you to say these exact words to me but that was so long ago. You paying attention to me is not enough anymore. I’m done having to fight for whatever should’ve been mine to have from the very beginning. I shouldn’t have to tear myself in two trying to have even a little bit of your respect, and Willow doesn’t deserve to see both of us live miserable lives. Besides, I don’t love you anymore,” Katniss said.

“What do you mean you don’t love me anymore?” Gale’s eyes looked wild.

Katniss nodded. “I don’t. I don’t know how, when or what exactly it took for me to stop loving you, but I don’t.”

“That means you loved me before,” Gale began.

“I did,” Katniss said nodding.

Gale, looking desperate, ran his palms down his pant legs as though it were a nervous habit. “Doesn’t that mean you can love me again?”

Shaking her head Katniss looked at him. “No, Gale, that’s impossible.”

“But, I can take care of you girls. I already give you enough to make a living,” Gale urged.

Taken aback, Katniss laughed. “You take care of us, how is that exactly? You think just because you give me something that is legally your duty I’m gonna come back crawling to you? No, Gale, I don’t need your money. I’m not Glimmer.” She tore the check into tiny pieces. Looking at him she gulped, steeling herself. “You have hurt me more than anyone ever could. I thought at first it was my fault, that somehow I was the one who was wrong, but that’s all bullshit. I can take care of Willow on my own. We don’t owe each other anything, and it’s best if we just leave it at that.”

Gale stepped towards her. “Baby, I’m sorry.”

Katniss put her arms up and backed away. “No, you’re not. You’ve never been sorry, and I’m not ever going back to you because I’ve fallen for someone else. Someone who likes my ideas, who respects me, who actually finds me interesting.”

“Who?” Gale asked.

Katniss sighed as her very soul sang out his name. “Peeta Mellark.” 

“That weirdo? You cannot be serious,” Gale said.

“I am serious. He’s been ten times the man I wished you to be, and if you come around my house thinking that you can interfere in my relationship, I will call the cops and file a restraining order. I am not joking Gale.” Her breath came out in spurts as she narrowed her eyes at him.

“In that case, I’ll be filing for sole custody of Willow,” Gale said raising an eyebrow.

Feeling as though he had slapped her, Katniss growled, “ You think taking MY daughter away from me will prove that you’ve changed? Gale, you’re still the same selfish asshole you’ve always been, and nothing I do will change that fact.”

“What’s wrong with wanting to have my daughter with me?” Gale asked.

Katniss pinched the bridge of her nose. “You don’t want Willow. You don’t even love her.”

“That’s a lie,” Gale began.

Katniss shook her head. “No it’s not, and you know it. You just want her with you because you know it would hurt me the most. You’re the most vindictive person I’ve ever met. It’s always about you having to have the upper hand. About always being right. You don’t care for anyone’s feelings but your own.”

“That’s not true Katniss. I do love Willow,” Gale moaned desperately.

“Maybe you do, but your love comes with conditions, and that’s not true love,” she huffed and reached for her purse.

“I’ll see you in court then,” Gale yelled.

“Do whatever the hell you want, Gale, but if you had even a little bit of decency left you would relinquish your rights as pretty much a nonexistent father solely to me. You know that whatever your ego plans on doing is not what Willow deserves, and I will fight you tooth and nail for MY daughter. I don’t give a flying fuck about the consequences. I won’t give you another opportunity to hurt her. NOT anymore.” she looked down at her hand that still held the pieces of the ripped check and threw them at Gale.

“I will take Willow away from you, Katniss, I swear,” Gale yelled as she walked to the door.

Zipping her coat closed, she opened the door and gave him the middle finger while smirking, “Do whatever the fuck you want. Just know that you can’t, and won’t, ever have me or Willow.”

She slammed the door shut and walked briskly to her car. Opening the car door she sat behind the steering wheel and contemplated what had just happened. A bubbling laughter began to froth forth as the open car door dinged.

Gale ran towards her, a furious glare in his eyes. Rolling her eyes, Katniss began to adjust herself to close the door when he wrenched the door open and pulled her out.

Pulling her arm out of his grasp Katniss rubbed where he had clenched her with all his might. She knew there would be a bruise on it soon. Frowning she glared at Gale.

“You’re not leaving me like this. I won’t let you,” Gale threatened.

Katniss groaned, “Or what, you’re gonna kidnap me and make me love you?”

“If it’s necessary,” Gale clipped.

Sighing, Katniss rolled her eyes. “Gale, you can’t make me love you.”

“Says who?” Gale asked taking a step forward.

Katniss put her hands on her hips. “Says me. Now, if you excuse me, I have other things-”

She was about to get back in the car when Gale grabbed her by the arm once again and pushed her against the car. He put his hands at her throat and began to squeeze, rage blinding him. “Listen here you little bitch, I will not be rejected this way. Do you understand me?”

Wheezing, Katniss tried to look for anyone who might help, but the deserted street offered no solace. Her heart raced as she looked for any solution to get him off her. She looked down and nodded.

Gale lessened his grip just enough for Katniss to kick his groin with all the force she could muster.

He groaned and puffed out a painful ‘oh’ as he sank to the ground clutching his injured bulge.

Katniss coughed with her hand at her throat and took in deep gulps of breath. Looking down at him she glared. “How fucking dare you? I knew you were a dick, but I never thought you would go this far. Consider your ass forgotten. What you just did will be used in your custody battle if you choose to pursue it. Or you could just relinquish your rights and let these things be dealt with easily.”

Gale looked up at her. “Katniss, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I won’t-”

Katniss cut him off. “Fuck your sorries, and you can go fuck yourself. If you don’t relinquish your parental rights, I will have you incarcerated.”

“You wouldn’t do that to me, I’m Willow’s father,” Gale groaned on bended knees.

“At this point, I don’t give a fuck, and I’ll do anything to get you away from us,” Katniss clutched at her aching throat.

Gale looked to be on the verge of madness. “You’ll take her away from me?”

“If it’s necessary,” Katniss repeated his words to him.

“Katniss, don’t, please,” Gale begged. “I won’t be able to get another job.”

“Well then, I guess you have choices to make,” Katniss said walking to her car.

She closed her car door as Gale stood shakily begging her to not call the cops on him. His breath coming out in puffs from the cold.

The wind picked up as she shook her head. Feeling sorry for him, she scoffed before driving away with her middle finger brandished out of the open window. A pleading Gale left in the dust.

Looking at her rearview mirror she laughed, feeling free for the first time in her life. Now she just had to tell Peeta that she loved him.

Fuck.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my Lovely Readers!
> 
> I’m back with another chapter of this much longer than I expected story! 
> 
> As always I would like to thank a few people, beginning with @sunsetsrmydreams for her beautiful banner. To @mega-aulover , @jobanana7 and my sexy hubs for being such awesome cheerleaders. To @alliswell21 for beta-ing this chapter. Finally, I would like to dedicate this chapter to my beautiful Loca @titaniasfics (I like to spoil you and ur deserve so much for being so amazing! Happy Birthday Dorko!) 
> 
> Please don’t forget to read and review 
> 
> Trigger Warning: mature language and some mention of violence. I know It’s been quite a doozy with the last chapter but I promise to post much lighter ones now that we’re nearing the end... (I hope. This story just seems to get longer the more I continue, *nervous laughter*) 
> 
> Now on to the story...  
> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/ADW.png.html)  
> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/mans_1.gif.html)

Feeling drained, Katniss fumbled with her keys as she tried to open the door to her apartment.

She sighed once the door swung on its hinges revealing nothing out of the norm. The teacup still sat on her coffee table, half its contents reflecting the light from the doorway. Willow’s toys scattered about the living room suggesting that nothing peculiar had ever happened, even as Katniss’ mind was a barrage of uncertainty and regrets. The living room’s cozy atmosphere offered no solace to her muddled, restless thoughts. It was as though she hadn’t just been in such a violent fight with Gale, and she wondered if she hadn’t just imagined the whole ordeal.

Sighing, she slumped her shoulders kicking her door close. Throwing her keys on the coffee table Katniss picked up her cold tea and went to wash that morning’s breakfast dishes. Setting the cup into the sink she slumped forward, looking at the dirty plates. Still shaking she opened the tap and threw some cold water on her face, for God knew what reason as she grunted with frustration.

Wincing, her hand flew to her sore throat. Grabbing a clean cup out of her cabinet she poured herself a cup of cold water and greedily gulped it. The cold water made her hurt more but it didn’t matter to her. Instead, she was glad that the pain reminded her that she was still alive. She hadn’t gotten out unscathed, but neither had Gale. Deep down she was glad for his current misery even if she hadn’t admitted it to herself.

Suddenly her laptop dinged. Turning her attention to it, she walked over to see who it was. Frowning, Katniss warred with herself as to whether she should even disclose what had happened to Johanna, whose picture flared onto her screen. Deciding she didn’t want to deal with her friend’s temper, even if it wasn’t directed at her. If she was being perfectly honest with herself for the first time in ages, she didn’t really want anyone to pity her. It had been her choice to deal with Gale on her own. She didn’t need the sympathy even if it was what was expected.

Nodding assertively, Katniss clicked on the green button to receive the call. Katniss highly hoped Johanna didn’t catch on to whatever excuses she would come up with. Putting on a brave face she smiled as her best friend leaned her head on her hand looking bored.

“Hey dorko.”

“Hey,” Katniss said hoping her voice didn’t quake as much as she thought it did. Tears were threatening to spill and Katniss bit her tongue forcing herself to remain as normal as humanly possible. Taking a breath, she adjusted her position on the couch and sat the laptop on her thighs comfortably.

Johanna frowned. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, why do you ask?” Katniss felt herself panic.

“You’re wearing your coat indoors, and you look like you’ve been crying,” Jo said pointing out her winter jacket with a nudge of her head.

‘Fuck.’ though Katniss. Smile faltering she tried to think of an excuse. “I’m cold and I think I’m coming down with something.”

“Oh, ok, ” Jo said not looking thoroughly convinced. 

Gulping Katniss squirmed in her seat. “Yeah, I woke up not feeling too well.”

“Oh, so that’s why you didn’t come into the office this morning.” murmured Jo to herself. “Coin wasn’t too happy, but I told her I would find out since it’s not like you to not show up without any reason. You want me to come help with anything?”

“No!” Katniss quickly said and shut her mouth when Johanna frowned, looking even more curious. “I mean, no thank you. I think I’ve got it. It’s just some chills and a sore throat. Nothing I can’t handle and I don’t want to bother you in case you’re busy.”

“Bitch, you know I got nothing to do all day. I was calling to see if you didn’t mind me visiting for a while, Coin’s driving me crazy with her micromanaging, but if you’re not feeling well, then I guess I’ll leave the visit for another day.” Jo pursed her lips and sulked.

Gulping and regretting her actions as she brought her hand up to her throat wincing, “I don’t want you to catch what I’ve got.”

“Katniss, are you sure everything’s okay?” Jo asked, her eyebrows were knit with worry.

Nodding, Katniss reassured her, “I just need some rest. I’ll feel better in a few days.”

“Okay, well in that case, do you want me to pick Willow up from school? I don’t mind dropping her off.” Jo offered.

Genuinely smiling at her friend’s thoughtfulness, Katniss accepted Johanna’s offer with a quick thank you.

“Hey, just remember, I’m here if you need anything, okay?” Jo reassured, before hanging up.

Katniss closed her laptop expelling a sigh of relief that she didn’t know she’d been holding. Putting the laptop on her coffee table, she removed her coat and placed it on the coat hanger. She set about placing everything in order, before retreating to her room to change clothes. However, when she passed by her dresser’s mirror, she paused noticing the long deep bruises of Gale’s fingers around her neck. Walking closer, she leaned over and inspected every inch of marked flesh. Anger rose within her making her growled angrily as she frowned even deeper.

How did she ever let it get to this point?

Katniss scoffed. She knew the answer to that question! As embarrassing and stupid as it all seemed, she knew exactly when it had all began, and she felt not only anger but pure disgust.

She was disgusted with herself for begging Gale for anything. He clearly didn’t want anything to do with her or Willow, that much was clear. She knew that excusing his problematic behavior and insults were not doing her any favors, but more than anything, she was setting the worst possible example for her daughter. What kind of mother begged an uninterested father for a little bit attention? Even if it wasn’t for her it still didn’t excuse that she had willingly trampled her own pride in full view of her only daughter.

The feeble excuse that it had all been for Willow was no longer acceptable. Katniss flopped on her bed and looked down at her hands.

She’d put Peeta through a rigid set of personal rules and he quickly accepted them without excuses or even questions. He never once forced her to accept any conditions he might have had despite him being as much a single parent as she was. So, why was Gale any different? It wasn’t just that Gale was Willow’s father, Katniss knew that. He’d been nothing but a sperm donor. So, what else could have driven her to accept his insults and jabs so easily?

She’d use to pride herself on being unapologetically unique, of being strong and one of the few to point out bullshit where it was, but it was as though she was finally seeing the light. The fog that had entrapped her was dissipating and now all that was left was deep regret at not realizing that somewhere along the way she had lost herself. It wasn’t exactly comfortable to feel so confused after having realized where she’d been standing for so long, but for once she felt a semblance of finally coming home. It had been so long since she’d recognized her strength. It was as though she was finally welcoming back an old friend. Sighing, she gulped and winced as her raw throat ached.

Looking up at her reflection once more, she nodded reaching for her phone.

“Hey Jo. I need you to come over.”

A half hour passed and Katniss tapped her foot on the floorboard nervously when suddenly her door opened and in walked Johanna, putting her keys back into her coat pocket,

“Is everything okay?” Johanna asked walking into the living room and sitting next to Katniss on the sofa. When Katniss didn’t answer she nudged her, “Hey, what’s going on? do you need to go to the doctor?”

Katniss nodded.

“Not feeling that great? I see you’re still wearing your coat and now you’ve even got a scarf on.” Johanna grabbed the end of the scarf pointedly.

Katniss shook her head. “I need you to tell me that what I’m about to do is alright.”

Looking even more confused Joanna blinked several times. “What do you mean?”

Turning to her best friend, Katniss could feel the concern radiating off of her. “I need to go to the police, to report Gale.”

“What did he do this time?” Johanna asked in alarm.

Katniss opened her coat and unwound part of her scar just enough to show Johanna the remnants of his assault. Johanna’s eyes bulged as she cringed looking visibly disturbed.

“WHAT THE FUCK?” she yelled backing up as she sucked in a deep breath, her nose flaring. “He did this to you?”

Katniss nodded, when Johanna asked for details, she told her friend everything.

Johanna was livid. Her eyes flashed dangerously while Katniss divulged the whole ordeal. 

Jo paced about the living room silently fuming to herself. “I’m gonna kill the fucker.” Turning to Katniss she paused and looked at her. “Are you okay? I mean, besides the…” she pointed to her neck.

Katniss chuckled darkly, “Well I’m not great, but I need to do this, don’t I? The problem is that I feel like complete shit for having to put my child’s father behind bars.”

Johanna sobered herself to the reality of Katniss’ dilemma. Sitting back down, she took her friends hands between hers, giving Katniss her undivided attention. “Katniss, I know I can come off as some sort of careless wreck who swears like a sailor, but I’m going to let you know that I’m here, and you wanting to report Gale is perfectly fine. I’m not exactly great at all the mushy stuff, that role is reserved for Prim, but I care more than you know. Gale needs to be in jail. Reporting him is the right thing to do.”

Katniss sighed. “But he’s Willow’s father.”

“Says who, genetics? He may very well be biologically linked to her, but that doesn’t make him her father anymore than my own dad makes him mine.” Johanna paused. “Kat, he’s unhealthy to be around, and he’s never once cared about how you or even his own daughter get by. Willow’s feelings are nothing more than trivial nonsense to him. If he truly cared, at least once, he would’ve never said the things he’s said to you in front of her.

“The moment he called you hurtful things in front of Willow, as a form of getting back at you for whatever he thinks you’ve done, he failed as a parent. He knows how much Willow looks up to you, and he still doesn’t care because everything has to be about him. He has such little regard for anyone else, that he doesn’t think how his actions or words will affect his only child. He barely even covers her expenses and that’s only because it’s legally mandatory.”

Johanna looked as though she had been wanting to say this for so long, but had been biting her tongue.

Katniss expelled a weak sob knowing her friend was right. “But, he’s her father and I don’t want Willow to hate me.”

Looking earnest Johanna squeezed her hand gently and gave her an encouraging smile. “Kat, she’s not going to hate you. You don’t even have to explain every little detail to her. Let her ask whatever questions she has and answer them honestly. She’ll eventually catch on and understand. Besides, if Willow was in your place, would you want her to sell her self-respect for the sake of her child? What kind of lesson do you really think you’ll be teaching her?”

“I just,” Katniss began looking down at the ground feeling so conflicted. “I don’t know how this got to this point.”

“Yes, you do. You let him get away with everything, but not everything’s your fault. When you guys met, he knew you’d never been in a relationship before and because he’s a manipulative jackass, he took advantage of that fact and tried to mold you into some bizarre, twisted form of who he wanted you to be. The funny thing was, that as hard as he tried to change you, you always seemed to rebel in small ways. That’s why he was always so pissed at you. He could never fully control you and it made him feel weak.” Giving Katniss a small lopsided smile Johanna shrugged, “How could you possibly know he would turn out the way he did?”

Katniss slumped her head forward feeling tears run down her face. Sniffling she looked back up at Jo, who gave her a sympathetic look.

“Jo, how do you know all this?”

“Psh, I’m observant! been this way for as long as I’ve known you. You’re stronger than you think and a little stubborn, that’s why I wanted to be friends with you, to begin with.” Leaning closer, Johanna lowered her voice conspiratorially. “Plus, I’ve been reading a few books on psychology, and I find them to be pretty interesting. I’m actually thinking of going back to school.”

Katniss smiled, “But what about your writing?”

“Ugh, honestly, with Coin’s ways I’m starting to really hate my job and I don’t get paid enough to get yelled at for as much as she usually does, which is now up to four times a day. I can only take so much micromanaging. Besides, who says I can’t still write as a Psychologist?” Johanna shrugged.

“Point taken,” Katniss said blowing her nose with the napkin Johanna had gone to the kitchen to retrieve.

Putting her hand out to Katniss, Johanna beckoned her with a nudge of her head, “Let’s go put that prick where he belongs. You at least are doing more than my mother ever dared to.”

Hesitating for a few seconds, Katniss nodded and reached her hand out to her best friend.

Xxxx

“- And you say this was your husband, ma’am?” the officer asked glancing up at Katniss.

Nodding, she fidgeted in her chair. It had been two hours since she’d been sitting on the stiff, uncomfortable chair at the police station and she was beginning to worry, even more, every time she looked at her cell phone. It was 1:30, and Willow was due to be dismissed from school in less than two hours. Looking up at Jo, Katniss shook her leg anxiously.

Raising her eyebrows, Johanna questioned her wordlessly. 

“School lets out soon.I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be here.” Katniss glanced down at her phone once more.

Nodding, Jo took her own cell out of her pocket and began to dial. Walking away she put a finger up to pause Katniss’ questioning as she spoke to another person on the line.

Looking back to the officer, Katniss apologized and continued to give her statement.

After what seemed like hours, Katniss glanced at her phone again as she waited for the officer to return with some chips and soda. She was now sitting in a room waiting for the next step in the line, when Prim all but ran into the room, with Johanna trailing closely behind,

“You called Prim?! Why?” Katniss flashed her eyes as her sister sat next to her to engulf her in a tight hug.

“Because I’m your sister, you dumb-dumb!” Prim wept.

Johanna let out a breath and shrugged. “She needed to know.”

“Johanna you had no right! I called you because this is exactly what I was trying to avoid.” Katniss said rising from her chair, ignoring her sister’s worried eyes scanning her face.

Grabbing her face to get her attention, Prim furrowed her eyes. “I have a right to know what’s happening with my sister! Especially if someone hurts you the way Gale has!”

“I didn’t want to worry you.” Katniss sulked.

“It would’ve been worse if you’d have kept it from me,” Prim replied.

Noting the tense scene was beginning to simmer down, Johanna pulled on her coat and placed her hat on her head before zipping her jacket up part of the way.

“I’ll leave you two to talk. I need to go pick up Willow.” Before stepping out of the room, Jo looked at Katniss. “Don’t worry, I’ll take her back to your house, and I promise not to tell Willow anything until you get back.”

Katniss nodded still a little angry at her friend, for reaching out to Prim without her consent.

Prim, on the other hand, shifted her position to look at her older sister. “I know what happened, Jo filled me in,” before Katniss could argue Prim cut in, “and before you say anything, I want you to know that I think you ’re doing the right thing. Gale should never have put his hands on you, and to be honest, this is the perfect way to make sure that Willow never ends up having to deal whether she’ll ever have to live with an abusive father. He doesn’t deserve her or you. Hell, never even made an effort to actually have Willow in his life.. He just wanted to have her just to spite you.”

“Why didn’t you ever say any of this to me before?” Katniss frowned.

Prim scoffed darkly. “Oh trust me, we wanted to tell you. Jo and I would rant at home from time to time, but you weren’t exactly ready to hear any of it, and as much as we wanted to open your eyes, we couldn’t force you to see our way. Not until you were ready to see the bullshit for what it was. We knew that you’d eventually get there, it was just a matter of time. I’m just glad my silence didn’t get you into a worse position.”

“You must think me pretty pathetic, huh?” Katniss leaned her face in her palm, elbows propped on the table.

Prim shook her head. “No. You’re human and honestly, I think you’re far too hard on yourself. You can’t do it all, Katniss.”

“You shouldn’t have to see me like this.” Katniss moaned.

Prim raised her eyebrows. “Like what, human? Honey, I’m your sister, not some random stranger who’s gonna judge you. ou used always to protect me when we were little. But I’m a big girl now and you need me. Let me take care of you for once”

Taking Prim’s hands into her own, Katniss smiled weakly. Her little sister was no longer so little and for that she was grateful.

The officer walked back into the room with soda and chips in hand. He placed them gently in front of Katniss. “Alright Ms. Everdeen, I just need you to write down your version of the events as clearly as possible. After that, you will need to go to the hospital with one of our deputies to have some pictures taken as evidence, and then you can be on your way. I know it’s not exactly comfortable, but I’m sure your lovely sister, here can accompany you.” He glanced up at Prim who smiled, her cheeks exhibiting a dusting of red as she blushed but nevertheless, she nodded.

Katniss looked at the officer and back to her sister suspiciously. “How does Officer Thresh know you’re my sister?”

“Oh, I had to tell him in order for him to let me in the room,” Prim said never losing eye contact with the tall, dark, and handsome officer before them.

Sighing Katniss looked around. “Um, where exactly am I supposed to write down my statement?”

Blinking quickly, Officer Thresh cleared his throat and reached for a notepad and pen on top of a filing cabinet, placing them in front of a very flustered Katniss.

“Would you mind if I stayed with my sister?” asked Prim looking at Officer Thresh.

Shaking his head, Officer Thresh backed away from the room. “Not at all.” He placed his hand on the doorknob and before he could close it, he looked down at Katniss. “It’s probably not necessary for me to say, but I suggest you are as specific with every detail as possible. It can help your case.”

Katniss huffed and got to work as her sister opened the bag of chips and soda to silently share with her.

Time passed, and Katniss missed her daughter. Wishing for a tight hug from Willow who would’ve surely wrapped her long skinny arms around her, Katniss rolled her neck feeling exhaustion settling in.

When she was finally done, Katniss flexed her fingers to rid herself of the stiffness and stood to arch her aching back. Looking to Prim, who gave her a bolstering grin, she grabbed her coat preparing to go to the hospital for the next step.

Turning towards the precinct’s main entrance Katniss froze, as a handcuffed Gale was being dragged into the holding cell.

He took one glance up at her and narrowed his eyes in a hateful glare. “Is this what you wanted Katniss, to ruin my life?”

Before she could react, Katniss heard a resounding slap and suddenly, Prim stood before an enraged Gale shaking down to her very toes. “Don’t you fucking dare blame my sister for something that you brought on yourself!”

If looks could kill, Katniss was sure that Prim would’ve been dead by now. His cheek was slowly turning a very angry shade of red with Prim’s fingerprints branding his skin.

Looking at the officers, Gale hollered for Prim to get any sort of punishment, but the officers feigned ignorance stating that they hadn’t seen what he was accusing Prim of.

“That bitch ruined my life!” yelled Gale with an angry thrust of his chin.

Prim blinked slowly, “Oh, she ruined YOUR life?” Stepping closer Prim was the picture of restrained anger.

For once, Katniss was afraid of what her sister would do, so she walked close to Prim to whisper in her ear. “It’s not worth it, Prim. Let’s just go.”

Prim shook her head ignoring her. “Oh no, This asshole is going to finally hear me out. So listen closely, Gale. YOU ruined your own life. I know it’s gonna be extremely hard for you to find a job if you ever find a way to get out of this, but you know what? Katniss has had to live like this for over a decade! She works a job where she’s unappreciated, not to mention she’s had to raise Willow practically by herself since you weren’t man enough to step up to the plate. Money doesn’t make you a man. You lost all the respect I once held for you, you became a parasite who delighted on putting my sister down, to feed off her insecurities, but she’s far too much woman for the likes of you!”

Gale shook with suppressed anger and likely because there were officers holding him back as Prim continued.

“You alienated my sister, making her feel alone, you were both wrong because I’m here and I’m not gonna let you hurt her or my niece. Not anymore.”

Taking a deep breath she stepped back and looked at Officer Thresh. “I’ll be in contact to make sure this,” she pointed to Gale, “sycophant stays in jail for what he did to my sister.” Turning back to Gale, Prim smirked. “By the way, you’re never getting Willow back. You made sure of that yourself.”

Katniss could hardly believe that it was her baby sister who had stepped up to Gale in a manner she never thought possible. It was as though she had somehow received a much-needed boost of strength, just by knowing that she wasn’t alone in her pursuit for her justice. Prim turned to shield her as Gale’s anger turned to pleading, with it echoing throughout the precinct asking her to reconsider.

Once they were in her car, Katniss turned to Prim and hugged her. No words were needed, she knew her sister understood the meaning behind such a fierce embrace.

“By the way, what were you doing before you got here?” Katniss asked turning on the ignition.

Prim shrugged. “I was enrolling for my second year of med school, and before you ask me what I’m specializing in I’m just letting you know, I’m not telling until I graduate.”

“I wasn’t saying anything!” Katniss shrugged.

Prim looked at her unconvinced but shrugged it off.

Katniss smiled. “I think Officer Thresh likes you.”

“I think so too,” Prim replied turning to look at her, eyes gleaming excitedly. “Should I ask him out on a date?”

 

Katniss sputtered. “Wh-what? No! I was joking. For god’s sake, Prim he’s in charge of Gale’s arrest! That’ll be like, conflict of interests or something.”

“So? All he has to do is pass his stuff over to a different officer and we’re good.” Prim shrugged.

Katniss chuckled as she shook her head. “You’re hopeless.”

“No, I’m optimistic. I also go after what I want. Besides, he’s really hot and has a good job.” Prim finalized, matter of factly.

Xxxx

It was night when Katniss finally made it home and she closed the door gently not to wake a sleeping Jo, who was sprawled on the sofa. Feeling a pang of guilt she took her shoes off and tiptoed into the room removing her coat and putting it on the coat rack.

Johanna stirred. “Hey,” she said groggily.

“Hey. How was Willow?” Katniss whispered.

Yawning, Jo nodded satisfactorily. “She was great, as usual. Don’t worry, she finished her homework, took a bath and we read a book before bed. I told her you were out at your job because your boss called you.”

Katniss sat next to her best friend and hugged her. “I’m sorry for getting mad at you, for calling Prim. I know why you did it, and you were right to do so. I really needed the support. I’m not exactly sure if I would’ve handled everything as well without either of you.”

Johanna hugged her back. “Anytime.” Pulling back she looked at Katniss. “So, how did everything go?”

Katniss shrugged and told her what had transpired since she left.

Johanna sat listening intently without interruptions. Once Katniss was done, Jo smiled. “I’m really proud of you Katniss. I know this couldn’t have been an easy step to take, but the point is you did it. I know it’s not gonna be a peachy road, but Prim and I are here for you.” she gulped and turned to wipe her eyes with her shirt sleeve.

Katniss smiled. “Are you crying?”

“N-no! Your house is just really dusty.” Johanna protested.

Katniss laughed. “I love you girls. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“You’d have a really boring life,” Johanna added putting on her boots.

Katniss shrugged accepting the reasoning. “Prim is waiting for you back home. Thanks for driving me to the station.”

Johanna raised an eyebrow and smiled before opening the door and waving a quick goodbye. “Bye dorko.”

Once the door closed, Katniss grinned feeling lucky that she had such amazing people she could trust. She took the blanket Johanna had been using and folded it, placing it in the linen closet. Turning the T.V off she tiptoed into Willow’s bedroom and sat on the edge of her bed contemplating her daughter.

Her flushed cheeks were scrunched ever so slightly as small breaths of hot air puffed out of her mouth. Long dark lashes framed her face as her hair lay about in disarray. Katniss reached over and ran her fingers gently through her hair, as Willow shifted positions.

Leaning down to kiss her, Katniss smiled, basking in the sole purpose for her perseverance. She was proud of Willow and despite her many regrets, she decided not to dwell too much longer on them and instead, became determined to set everything right. She had to do it for Willow, but in a way, it was as though she was reclaiming her old self back again, and this time she wasn’t going to lose herself. Walking out of her daughter’s room, Katniss closed the door and got ready for bed.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, snap son, I finally came back!
> 
> My gorgeous beautiful readers. I missed you all so much. I’m beyond sorry for having made you wait too long for another chapter. In my defense, I have been going through some major life-changing moments and making decisions like a grown up! it’s been a crazy few weeks. Like I’m going to college Y'all and I’m majoring in Liberal arts. I will be turning one of my fics into a novel sometime next year, so keep look out! I’ve been busy removing toxic individuals out of my life and basically just trying to be the best I can be and to give ya’ll the best of my craft. *bitches won’t let me bloom*. So there’s all that but enough about my own craziness. 
> 
> I would like to thank @mega-aulover @titaniasfics @javistg @jobanana7 for being my biggest fans and cheerleaders. Thank you, ladies, for taking the time to hear my dumbass ramble on about dumb shit. I would love to thank my incredibly awesome beta @booksrockmyface . You turned a pile of flaming garbage into something worth reading. To the Picasso of my story @sunflowerslyf , thank you so much for my new banner. I fucking love it! Finally to the man who has ruined all future men for me in a very good way. My husband, the Goku to my Vegeta. *Bae, you’re a sexy ass piece of human perfection.* He’s so good to me and he’s currently sitting behind me watching My Hero Academia even though I know he’d rather spend some time with me but he knows how important my writing and all my beautiful readers are to me, so despite my many many late nights, he’s a constant support to every shenanigan I do. 
> 
> Guys, I just want to thank every single one of you who has taken the time to give my humble fic a chance. Hopefully, I can continue to keep you engaged with whatever drivel I write. I will be posting chapter 18 before I leave for vacation, which is soon. Please don’t forget to read and review if you would like to read more chapters! 
> 
> Now that everything’s been said, let’s move onto the story...
> 
> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/a%20different%20way.jpg.html)  
> 
> 
> [](http://s229.photobucket.com/user/TigerRW86/media/tenor.gif.html)   
> 

Tepid water ran from the faucet while the sudsy residue from the sponge accumulated between her fingers. Katniss stared off into the distance while she maneuvered the plate proficiently before placing it on the drying rack. Thoughts interrupted, she turned her gaze towards the door when her doorbell rang at decibels that would make anyone cringe. Tugging her turtleneck up to hide the bruising she turned off the tap, dried her hands on the dish towel and walked to peer into the door’s eyehole lest Gale had somehow made bail and gotten out of jail. Fortunately for her, Johanna stood on the other side sighing and resuming her task of ringing Katniss’s ears off.

“Brainless, it’s me. Open up,” her muffled grumble interrupted as she stood on the other side tapping her foot.

Wincing once again, Katniss opened the door. “Did you really have to try leaving me deaf? Jesus.”

“That’s your damn fault. Who told you to go and get such a loud doorbell?” Johanna took her coat off and carelessly hung it on the coat rack.

Katniss stuck her tongue out before walking back to her previous task of washing the dishes. “I just wanted to make sure I got a loud enough bell so that I wouldn’t be caught off guard after the unplanned dance party Peeta had come to. I thought I would die of mortification when he saw me dancing like an idiot.”

“But you were a cute idiot and you can’t deny that day was the most fun you’d had in months. Sooo...like everything turned out for the best.” Johanna shrugged, elbows resting on the counter.

Turning the tap back on, Katniss sighed. “I hate looking like an idiot in front of anyone and you know it.”

Raising her hands in, surrender Johanna acquiesced. “Fine, I still think you should change your doorbell again because that high pitched monstrosity is gonna leave all of us unable to hear.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Katniss quipped placing another cup into the drying rack. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

Frowning, Johanna sat on one of the kitchen chairs. “No Ms.Grumpy. I just wanted to know how you were doing after yesterday’s fiasco.”

Katniss leaned against the sink and hung her head in order to get her thoughts in order. Sighing, she turned to her friend and crossed her arms “Jo, I don’t mean to take out whatever I’m feeling on you but I just… I don’t know how to feel.”

“What do you mean?” Johanna gestured for Katniss to continue.

Turning back to the last of her dishes Katniss began to lather the sink in order to clean up any residue. The menial task offered her the opportunity to transfer her frayed nerves onto something useful. “ I have so much to worry about besides myself, right now.”

Johanna being who she was scoffed. “That is such bullshit.”

Katniss paused her task frowning, not from confusion but rather from anger. The faucet ran and the suds in the sponge accumulated into a small hill as she tightened her fingers into a fist. Maybe she had misunderstood her friend, but she had to make sure. Blinking, Katniss went from looking at her suds-covered sponge to a nonchalant Jo. “What did you just say,” she whispered.

“I said, that is such bullshit.” Johanna clarified.

Taking in a measured breath Katniss turned the tap off and dried her hands before practically throwing the towel on the counter. “If you’re trying to make me feel better in some weird twisted way, let me just say, it’s not fucking working. I thought you were my friend. I thought, you of all people would be behind me and not throw whatever inadequacy I already feel, into my face.” 

Johanna stood from her chair and walked over to her friend. “Katniss, you are not inadequate. You never were but you’re using whatever you can to keep from feeling. And I get it, trust me I do. You think the whole world is abandoning you but not everyone is Gale or your mother. You don’t think I know you still have to talk to Willow about what happened, you don’t think I’m worried for and about you? I mean, what if Gale manages to somehow get out of jail, what then?”

Feeling a floodgate of relief, Katniss sighed. Finally, someone truly understood her. The immense support of her utterly churlish friend and the deep worry of having to deal with new parenting ground was more than she could bear. And so she finally let it all out and shook with repressed tears.

Looking horrified Johanna looked at her. “Look, Katniss, I’m sorry I sound so heartless but you know I suck at all this sentimental crap,” Sighing Johanna sagged against the kitchen sink. “If I was Willow, I’d want to hear the truth. At least that’s all I ever wanted when I saw my mother suffering silently. It’s from her that I learned to suppress whatever negative feelings I have and replace it with bitterness and a less-than-sunny disposition on life. Then again, I am hilarious, so I guess win? ” Johanna shrugged sheepishly.

Katniss stifled a giggle before sniffling. “Yeah, you’re kind of a bitch.”

Johanna barked with laughter before reaching for her and putting her arms around Katniss.

***

Once everything had calmed down Katniss sat across Jo with a mug of strong coffee in hand. Sipping it, she placed her cup onto the coffee table and sighed. “What am I going to say to Willow? I don’t want to mess my kid up and have her end up hating her father. ”

Johanna blinked and shook her head while ruefully smiling. “Trust me, she won’t turn out as antisocial or have a negative outlook on life the way I do,” Johanna smirked and Katniss snorted, “ but Katniss she deserves to know the truth. She could end up resenting you if she ends up finding out anything from anyone else but you. Who knows what kind of truth she might stumble on?” Before Katniss could protest Johanna held a hand up. “I don’t mean you have to tell her every little detail, but the general parts, yes. She’ll find out about the nitty-gritty sooner or later, or not at all. Either way, she’s smart and I’m sure she can handle reality with your help. Once everything settles, Willow can decide what kind of relationship she wants with her dad and I know you’ll respect those choices.”

Looking down at her hands, Katniss drew a shuddering breath. “I’m scared, Jo. This is real parenting stuff. I have no idea what I’m doing, I don’t know how to deal with this responsibility.” Locking eyes with her best friend, she gulped. “What if she ends up hating me? How do you tell your child that their father has been anything but the gentleman she believes him to be?”

“Things will get better but you have to give it time, Willow will eventually get it. She’s already an incredibly perceptive kid. Plus, it’s not like you’re all alone in this mess. I’m willing to get my hands dirty,” said Prim opening the door.

Eyes wide, Katniss looked up at her sister. “Aren’t you supposed to be at school?”

“I didn’t go. Turns out I had an emergency. My sister needs me more than anyone else, and that’s more important to me. Besides, I can make the day up.” Prim shrugged her coat off and flung it on the couch before sheepishly retrieving it and placing it on the coat hanger.

Johanna shook her head. “How is it that you always forget it’s supposed to go in the coat hanger?”

“We don’t have one back at the apartment,” Prim said sitting in between Katniss and Jo.

Johanna rolled her eyes. “We might have to rethink that.” Katniss heard her mutter.

Prim looked attentively at Katniss. “I don’t exactly go into full detail about our upbringing when anyone has ever asked me but I’m pretty sure they catch my drift. And that’s all there needs to be. Things don’t need to be said or shown,” she reached for Katniss’ bruised arm, “ for the point to get across. Sometimes you just need Willow to make her own conclusions. She’s smart enough and honestly, it doesn’t make you a bad person. It just makes Willow realize who her father really is.”

“But what if she draws up the wrong conclusion?” Katniss asked.

“You mean the ones Gale has already shown her?” Prim quirked an eyebrow. “Katniss, you have to trust the kind of child you’ve been raising. I have faith things will turn out well. If she were in the same situation you’re in, would you like anyone to really hide anything from you? Wouldn’t you want her to stand up for herself and become the strong woman you know she’s capable of becoming?”

Looking between sister and best friend, Katniss groaned. “This sucks big time.”

Both girls gave her a sympathetic nod.

***

It was still a few hours before Katniss had to pick Willow up from school. Prim flipped through Netflix and Johanna lounged on the sofa while Katniss busied herself with household chores.

Johanna began to mutter a tune until Katniss paused her tasks, “What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m thanking Karma for aligning everything so perfectly,” answered Johanna with an impish gleam in her eyes.

“What?” Katniss asked.

Johanna threw her hands in the air in silent reverence. “Gale got exactly what you had to go through. Well, not exactly but close enough.”

“Explain yourself, please,” Katniss said, putting her hand on her hip, the wet rag leaving a wet spot on the side of her jeans.

Sighing dramatically Johanna clapped her hands together and laced her fingers. “His wife dumped his ass because he was going too broke for her licking. He’s in jail for being a dick and he most likely lost his job which means he’ll be left with little, which is still more than what you had to deal with, but as I said before, close enough.”

Katniss rolled her eyes, “You dork. You do realize that celebrating someone’s unhappiness is wrong on so many levels, right?” 

Jo stuck her tongue out. “Whatever, that asshole had it coming to him.”

“That asshole is still Willow’s father,” Katniss said raising an eyebrow.

Johanna rolled her eyes. “Oh yes, such a good daddy he is. He’s more like a sperm donor.” Huffing, Johanna leaned her head against her propped up knee, her foot balancing between the edge of the kitchen chair as she nervously shook it. “ Whatever, I don’t want to keep talking about him.”

“She has a point, Katniss,” yelled Prim from the living room as she continued to glue her eyes to the screen deciding what to settle on.

“Are you gonna tell him?” asked Johanna

Katniss frowned. “Tell who, what?”

“Peeta, you idiot. Are you gonna tell him you love him?” asked Johanna making little circles on the wood pattern of the table.

Katniss shook her head. “Not yet. I have to focus on Willow first. Then I’ll see what to do about him.”

“She’s right you know, Jo?” Said Prim pointing to Katniss, she had finally settled on a movie.

Johanna rolled her eyes. “Ugh, shut up and watch your movie.” 

Prim smiled pleasantly as she flipped her friend off.

***

Time had finally arrived. It took much prodding and support from her sister and best friend for Katniss to gather enough courage to speak to her daughter. She’d begged for either girl to pick Willow up but neither would budge, alleging that it was not their job to do what she had to do.

“If either one of us picks her up again she’ll think something is really wrong and we don’t want to frighten her unnecessarily.” cautioned Prim while Johanna nodded assertively.

Now, Willow was jumping into the car, her hair a windblown mess. “Hi, Momma!”

“Hello, sweetie,” Katniss replied smiling at her daughter and feeling all the more fortunate for having her. She thought she’d been alone but now she knew she never truly been alone. Willow clicked her seatbelt on and gifted her a glorious toothy grin.

Noticing Katniss’ faltering grin, Willow furrowed her brows. “Momma, are you okay?”

“I will be,” Katniss replied looking at her daughter. “ But first, I need to speak with you.” 

“Did I do something wrong?” asked Willow.

Eyes widening Katniss reached for her daughter’s hands. “Oh no, sweetie, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just some things have been happening and I feel like we need to talk. So where would you like to go?”

Willow pursed her lips thoughtfully, “McDonald’s?”

Smiling, Katniss shifted her attention to the road and turned the ignition on, “McDonald’s it is.”

***

Chewing on a fry, Willow rummaged into her Happy Meal for her toy. Taking it out she opened the package and looked at her pony, its yellow hair shining in the fluorescent light. Katniss looked around the nearly empty restaurant as she shrank even further into the booth she’d chosen. It was the most discreet one she could find and she was hoping to make this into less of a traumatizing experience as she could possibly muster, but now she was beginning to doubt her decision.

It didn’t seem like the kind of place one would choose to talk about important life-changing issues plaguing anyone’s life. Before the last of her nerves disappeared Katniss took a breath and hoped she was doing the right thing as she silently prayed that Willow would understand her motives where Gale was concerned. 

Katniss cleared her throat and Willow looked up at her expectantly.

“I don’t want to make you sad or hurt you, baby, but I have to be honest with you,” Katniss began. Willow blinked innocently, allowing Katniss a chance to feel her heartbreak for the tears she was sure were to come. “Daddy and I had a big fight yesterday and,” sighing Katniss reached for her daughter’s small hands, “he’s in jail baby.”

One minute Willow was the picture of calm before the thunder obscured her features. “What kind of fight mom?”

“All you need to know is that he hurt me,” Katniss said tightening her grip in order to transfer whatever love or strength she had left onto Willow.

Willow’s eyes shined with unshed tears as she deciphered Katniss’ words. “He hit you?”

Katniss nodded. “Yes, but I don’t want you to think bad about your father, Willow. He’s still your dad and he loves you so very much.”

“My teacher says you don’t hit anyone no matter what the circumstances.” Willow hiccuped as her tears marred her cherub cheeks.

Choosing to sit next to her daughter, Katniss wrapped her child up in her arms. She rocked her daughter as she tried to soothe her the best way she could. Once the sobs had subsided into hiccups, Katniss framed her daughter’s face in her hands, “Willow, your father loves you. He may not like me very much, but I know he loves you. He’s made a mistake that I can’t let him get away with because I wouldn’t want you to think it’s normal. But he does love you. Maybe not like I do, but that’s for you to decide later on. I don’t want you to hate him.” Licking her lips Katniss dropped her hands to her lap and looked at her obviously distraught child.

Willow looked down as tears landed on her palms. Katniss put a finger below her chin and leveled their gazes. Giving her an encouraging smile Katniss kissed Willow’s tear-streaked cheeks.“Willow, listen to me. I love you more than you can possibly imagine and Daddy loves you just as much. You’re a good kid and none of what’s happening is your fault, sweetie. This is just a big old stinky fight between adults but we will figure it out. You have nothing to worry about, I promise you. Jus give us some time and I know things will be okay again very soon. ”

Willow nodded sadly. “I love you, Mommy.”

Wrapping her small arms around her, Katniss hugged her daughter fiercely as she kissed the top of her head, all the while switching between murmuring soothing words and ‘I love you’s’.


End file.
